Barton's Riley earns conference baseball player of the week award; Schedule adjustments for weekend series with Hutchinson #GoBarton #RoarCougs

Nolan Riley of the 18th ranked Barton Community College baseball team has been voted the week five KJCCC Baseball Player of the Week.

Riley led the Cougars to a conference opening sweep of Garden City this past weekend with a .647 on-base percentage in batting .583 as the sophomore first baseman was also flawless in the field on eighteen chances. Batting .500 in Friday's conference opening day sweep, Riley finished the weekend strong in game four of the series with a 4-for-4 performance out of the three-hole. Riley's leadoff walk began Barton's come-from-behind sixth inning with his second at-bat of the frame producing an RBI triple to help the Cougars erase the three run deficit with the nine run frame.

The Cougars were able to go for the series sweep in the game four in part to the pitching efforts of Jake Skala in the morning's 3-1 victory. A nominee for the pitcher of the week award, Skala improved to 3-0 on the season as the freshman pitched an efficient eighty-four pitch seven inning complete game. Getting the first batter out in six of the innings leading to a trio of 1-2-3 innings, the lone leadoff batter to reach came in the fifth inning on an infield error leading to the lone crossing the plate.

The four-pack of conference victories improved Barton's overall mark to 12-3 on the season heading into the weekend's series with preseason favorite Hutchinson Community College.

Due to weather sweeping across the state this week, the series has altered its schedule with the series beginning on Friday at Lawson-Biggs Field before shifting the back leg to Hutchinson's Hobart-Detter Field on Sunday with 1:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheaders slated for each day.