Feb. 26, 2007

After leading his team to a 4-0 week and running the team's winning streak to six games, Rice sophomore infielder/outfielder Aaron Luna has been named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week for the period ending February 25. Southern Miss senior righthander Ryan Belanger, who shut down a red-hot Georgia Southern team last Friday, earned Pitcher of the Week honors.

Luna batted a team-best .467 (7-for-15) last week with four RBI and six runs scored. Not only did he hit safely in each game, he hit a double in all four games. Luna added a home run to go with the four doubles for a .933 slugging percentage. He drew two walks to maintain a .529 on-base percentage. Defensively, he was perfect in the field on 14 chances and he started or turned three of the team's five double plays.

Facing a Georgia Southern team that was hitting .363 with 47 doubles, three triples and nine home runs in 11 games, Belanger held them to one extra base hit and only two runners reached third base during a 7-1 Southern Miss win last Friday. Belanger allowed just one run on four hits over eight innings, striking out seven and walking one. He struck out the side in the first inning and then retired eight of 10 before giving up a solo homer to Chris Shehan over the left field wall in the fourth inning. Belanger proceeded to retire seven straight before giving up a leadoff single to Griffin Benedict to lead off the seventh inning.