SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Coming off a dominant week at the plate in helping Missouri State go 5-0 and extend its win streak to eight games, sophomore Jake Burger was chosen by Collegiate Baseball as one of its Louisville Slugger NationalPlayers of the Week Monday. Additionally, Burger was cited for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time in 2016 after hitting .556 and clubbing four home runs on the week.
Burger played an instrumental role in a 5-0 week for Missouri State, going 10-for-18 with four homers, eight RBIs and nine runs scored, while reaching base safely in 12-straight plate appearances at one point. The All-America third baseman logged back-to-back four-hit games against WIU, including his second two-home run game of the season in a 4-for-4 effort in which he accounted for nine runs scored with his four RBIs and five runs scored. He also went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and a homer in the first game of the series.
Burger became the first Bear since Brooks Colvin in 2004 to score five times in a single game and completed the two-game series vs. the Leathernecks with eight hits — including three long balls — in nine at-bats. He capped his week with another multi-hit game in the Bears’ come-from-behind 8-6 win over Iowa that wrapped up a series sweep of the 2015 NCAA Regional-qualifying Hawkeyes. Burger homered for a Division I-leading 10th time, before driving in the game-winning run in the eighth inning, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
The Chesterfield, Mo., native shares the national home run lead with Samford’s Heath Quinn and also ranks third in the country in total bases (67), 15th in hits (34), 16th in RBIs/game (1.37) and 19th in batting average (.436). He leads the Valley in virtually every major offensive statistical category, including all three triple crown (home runs, RBIs and batting average) measures.
Missouri State moved up two spots to a season-high No. 10 in Collegiate Baseball’s weekly poll, while debuting in D1Baseball.com's Top 25 at No. 23 on Monday. The Bears (17-2) continue a nine-game home stand Tuesday (March 22) with a 6:35 p.m. game against Arkansas State at Hammons Field.
