Tuesday, May 6, 1997
UNION'S MICHAEL HOPPER NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Birmingham, AL--91±¬ÁÏÍø baseball pitcher Michael Hopper has been named TranSouth Player of the Year for 1997. The lefthander from Walnut, Mississippi, led the TranSouth Conference as well as the Bulldogs with the lowest earned run average this season with a 1.76 and has compiled a 10-4 record. In 76.2 innings pitched, Hopper has struckout 77 batters and only walked 20. In Hopper's last outing against Bethel College in the TranSouth Play-In Series, 13 of the 15 outs in the game were strikeouts.
In addition to this honor, Hopper has been named TranSouth Pitcher of the Week twice this season and NCCAA (National Christian Colleges Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week two times as well. Hopper joins teammates Genus Miller, Brandon Myhand, and Kevin Overcash on the first team all-conference list while John Koffman represents 91±¬ÁÏÍø on the second team.