Three Bulldogs Recognized For Solid Performances

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A pair of Yale baseball players have received awards recognizing their outstanding performances in the past week, with junior pitcher Chris Lanham earning Ivy League Pitcher of the Week and sophomore infielder Richard Slenker being named the College Sports Madness Ivy League Player of the Week.

Lanham (Houston, Texas) and Slenker (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) both had strong outings in Yale's six-game, seven-day spring trip to North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, leading the Elis to a 4-4 record after Sunday's split doubleheader with Rhode Island.

In two starts for the Bulldogs on the spring trip, Lanham went 1-1 in 10.2 innings of work, allowing only four earned runs in both appearances combined. The right-hander boasted a 10-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio while throwing his way to a 3.38 ERA.

Lanham's first win of the season came at George Mason last Thursday, when the junior threw six innings and surrendered only two earned runs while striking out five. In Yale's opening game of the season, Lanham went 4.2 innings against Richmond and allowed seven runs, with only two earned due to a critical error in the fifth inning.

It is Lanham's second-career selection as the Ivy Pitcher of the Week, earning his first nod back in his sophomore season on April 22, 2014.

Slenker has been a big contributor at the plate for the Bulldogs to this point, picking up where he left off a year ago when he led the Ivy League with a .352 batting average. In the first eight games, Slenker is third on the team with a .364 average (12-of-33) and a team-high eight RBI.

The second-year third baseman is tied for the team lead in doubles (3), while also leading the Bulldogs in total bases (18) and slugging percentage (.545).

Slenker's biggest game of the season came in the 9-5 win over Towson last Friday, when he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Both of Slenker's RBI came on a two-run home run he launched over the left field fence in the sixth inning, which at the time narrowed Towson's lead to 4-3 and played a big part in Yale's comeback victory.

More recently, Slenker was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in a 6-5 win over Rhode Island in game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Back on the first weekend of the season, the Yale infielder was 4-for-7 at the dish with three RBI and two runs scored as part of the Bulldogs' 22-3 onslaught of Davidson.

Senior Eric Hsieh (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) was also recognized by the league this week, being named to the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll for his strong overall performance. Hsieh leads Yale in hitting with a .448 batting average, with his best day at the plate being a 5-for-5 effort against Towson.

The Bulldogs are back in action today against Hartford at 3 p.m. at Fiondella Field in West Hartford, before heading back to the Univ. of Hartford campus on Thursday for a neutral site game with UMass-Lowell at 3:30 p.m.

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity