May 22, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- The excellent week at the plate by junior first baseman Brett Schaefer (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) was recognized by Ping!Baseball as a Ping! Division I Spotlight Performance of the Week on Thursday (May 22).

Last week Schaefer hit .529 (9-for-17) with five extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs and nine runs batted in.

He hit a game-tying RBI double off of Horizon League saves leader Jarad Miller with the Flames down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth, and one batter later he went on to score the game-winning run in UIC's 7-6 comeback win Saturday over Valparaiso that clinched the Flames' seventh straight regular-season League title.

Schaefer, who was also named Horizon League Player of the Week, hit his second grand slam of the season in UIC's 9-2 win over Purdue.

The third-year standout is batting .355 with eight home runs and 51 RBI in 2008.

Ping!Baseball covers the national collegiate scene on the diamond. Fans can access the Ping!Baseball website at pingbaseball.com.

Schaefer and the Flames meet Valpo in UIC's opening game of the 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by U.S. Army at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central.