Clemson’s Epps, North Carolina’s Johnson Earn Final ACC Baseball Weekly Honors of the Season

May 23, 2011

GREENSBORO, NC – Clemson outfielder Chris Epps has been honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, while North Carolina’s Patrick Johnson has been named Pitcher of the Week in the final selection of the 2011 season. It marks the first recognition of the season for both.

Epps led the Tigers to three wins in four games this past week by hitting .600 with a 1.133 slugging percentage and .647 on-base percentage in four games. The senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., went 9-for-15 with two homers, five RBIs, five runs, and two walks on the week. He helped Clemson to two wins in three games at No. 4 Florida State over the weekend by going 5-for-9 (.555) with one homer, two RBIs, three runs, and two walks against no strikeouts. On the season, he is hitting .287 with eight homers, five doubles, two triples, 34 RBIs, 38 runs, a .404 on-base percentage, and nine stolen bases in 54 games (50 starts).

Johnson retired the last 15 batters he faced in his first-ever complete game shutout as North Carolina topped No. 1 Virginia 6-0. The freshman from Rye, N.Y., turned in Carolina’s first complete game shutout since Alex White in 2009 against Miami. He went to a three-ball count just eight times in the win, holding the top-ranked team in the country and the ninth-highest scoring offense to just four hits. Johnson became the 18th pitcher in school history to reach 10 wins in a season with the victory. He has struck out 94 batters on the season and 280 for his career, ranking fifth in school history. Johnson is currently 13th among active pitchers in career strikeouts in the nation.