UVA first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) has been named the ACC Player of the Week after leading the Cavaliers to a 5-0 week, including a three-game ACC series sweep against Pittsburgh. It marks the first career ACC Player of the Week honor for Smith and is the first weekly league award for a UVA player this season.
Smith also was named one of Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week and is a candidate for the Golden Spikes Award’s Gold Standard Performance.
Smith had a big week as part of UVA’s 5-0 stretch, going 9-for-21 (.429) and driving in 14 runs while racking up five extra-base hits (two homers, three doubles). He recorded his second career multi-home run game Tuesday in the win over a red-hot Old Dominion squad, hitting a grand slam as well as a two-run homer. Smith added two hits and three RBI Wednesday against George Washington.
Smith had four RBI in the series opener against Pitt, including a three-run double that missed by a foot of going out for a grand slam. He added a hit Sunday and also had a highlight-reel catch in left field to save an extra-base hit in the tight game.
Smith is batting .328 this season and currently leads the ACC in RBI with 49 and also ranks fifth in home runs (10), seventh in total bases (80) and eighth in runs (34). He ranks as one of the toughest players to strike out in the nation, with just five punchouts in 155 plate appearances.
Virginia (26-8, 8-7 ACC) plays host to VCU at 6 p.m. Tuesday before heading to Virginia Tech Thursday through Saturday for a three-game ACC series.
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