May 19, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- UIC junior first baseman Brett Schaefer (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) was named the Horizon League Player of the Week for the period ending May 18, the league office announced on Monday afternoon.

Schaefer led the Flames (31-19, 17-6 Horizon) to a three-game series sweep of Valparaiso that clinched UIC's seventh straight Horizon League regular season title over the weekend. He hit .615 (8-for-13) with a home run, three doubles and five RBI during the set.

In the title-clinching finale on Saturday, Schaefer hit a game-tying RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and scored the decisive run one batter later in UIC's 7-6 comeback win.

Schaefer also hit a grand slam in UIC's 9-2 win over Purdue last Wednesday.

For the season the 6-foot-4, 215-pound cleanup hitter is batting .355 (65-for-183) with a Horizon League-leading 51 RBI and eight home runs. He also leads the Flames in slugging percentage (.574) and on-base percentage (.426).

This is the second time this season that Schaefer has been named the league's Player of the Week. He also earned the honor back on March 25.

Schaefer and the Flames head to Niles, Ohio to defend their Horizon League tournament title this week.