Hot-Hitting LaNinfa Tabbed By Collegiate Baseball For National Player Of The Week Honors
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State junior designated hitter Brian LaNinfa has been tabbed for National Player of the Week honors by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
Despite being slowed by a hamstring injury, the Venice, Fla.,native turned in a career week at the plate, belting four home runs during a 9-for-19 offensive show over the past five games. LaNinfa delivered the game-winning hit in the ninth inning of State's 12-8 victory at Memphis, launched his fourth and fifth home runs to pace the Bulldogs to a 5-3 win over UM's Tigers at AutoZone Park, and roped two more home runs, the second a game-winning two-run shot in the ninth inning of State's 9-8 win over No. 12 Arkansas. LaNinfa went 3-for-5 with four RBI in that game and 6-for-14 for the weekend series.
LaNinfa's career-best seven home runs leads Mississippi State and his .431 batting average in SEC competition leads the Southeastern Conference. He also sports an .804 SEC slugging percentage, second-best in the conference. He enters this week's two-game series at Southern Miss riding a career-best 11-game hitting streak. He's hitting .513 (20-for-39) with three doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI over that span.
