INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC first baseman Jeff Boehm [Lansing, Ill./Mount Carmel (Kentucky)] has been named the Horizon League Batter of the Week, while Milwaukee right-hander Brian Keller (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) is the League’s Pitcher of the Week, for the week of Feb. 9-15. The accolades are the first of both players’ careers.
Boehm led UIC to a 2-1-1 opening weekend at Mississippi Valley State, clubbing three home runs and driving in 13. On the mound, Keller tossed six scoreless innings against Maine in the Panthers’ season-opening victory, setting the tone for a 3-1 weekend.
In the Flames’ 24-5 victory to begin the year, Boehm drove in six, going 2-for-3 with his first long ball of the season. Boehm homered for the second consecutive game on Friday, once again going 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Boehm wrapped his performance with a 3-for-6 effort in the series’ third game, launching his third homer in a 12-5 UIC win.
Largely pitched around in the series finale, Boehm finished the weekend 8-for-13 with three homers, 13 RBIs, six runs and seven walks. The lefty posted a 2.147 OPS, slugging at a 1.385 clip over the weekend.
Milwaukee’s opening day starter, Keller did not disappoint, allowing just five baserunners over six innings as the Panthers knocked off Maine, 10-0. Keller struck out four while limiting Maine to a .174 batting average.
The season-opening win was the first for Milwaukee since 2006.
UIC will head to a weekend series at defending national champion and current No. 1 Vanderbilt Feb. 20-22, while Milwaukee will meet 2014 College World Series participant and No. 10 Louisville Feb. 20-22 in Louisville.
Horizon League top performers (Feb. 9-15)