Each week the sports staff will pick one Whitman athlete that performed exceptionally in the previous weekend’s games. The distinction will be judged both on the individual’s performance and their impact on the team.

A bright note in four losses to the Willamette Bearcats, sophomore Erik Korsmo pounded the ball last weekend against the visiting Willamette Bearcats. Korsmo hit for the cycle over all four games, going nine for fourteen overall, while leading off for the Missionaries.

In Whitman’s first game on Saturday, Korsmo began the game offensively for the Missionaries with a deep double to left center. Two batters later, he scored for the first run of the game. Korsmo jump started the Whitman offense again in Saturday’s second game, blasting a triple over the center fielder’s head in the bottom of the eighth. Kitamura hit a sacrifice fly one batter later to plate him.

Another cold start plagued the team in Sunday’s second game, depleting the Missionaries pitching staff and forcing Korsmo to pitch the final four and one-third innings. He still batted for himself, though, and began a six-run rally in the fourth inning with a home run to right field. Later in the inning, Korsmo came up again and singled in another run for Whitman.