Georgia State Baseball’s Blanton Named National Player of the Week

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

Georgia State center fielder Ryan Blanton has been named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, announced today by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

The Panthers’ leadoff hitter went 11-for-16 (.688) with three home runs to lead Georgia State to a 3-0 week. He scored six runs and drove in six while slugging 1.375 in the three games as GSU pounded Kennesaw State 13-3 and then swept a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader at Arkansas State, 5-4 (12 innings) and 6-3.

In Sunday’s doubleheader sweep at Arkansas State, Blanton went 8-for-11 with a homer, a triple and four runs scored to help Georgia State win a Sun Belt Conference road series for the first time since joining the league.

In the Panthers’ 12-inning victory in Game 1, he led off the 12th inning with a triple and then scored the winning run. He also hit a solo homer in the third inning. He then went 4-for-5 in GSU’s 6-3 victory in the nightcap.

Blanton opened the week by hitting two homers IN THE SAME INNING in the win over Kennesaw State. With the game tied a 3-3, he led off the fifth inning with a solo homer and then capped the Panthers’ nine-run inning with his first career grand slam. He is just the second player in GSU history, and the first since 2000, to homer twice in an inning. Blanton finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored, and he also made two diving catches in center field.

A native of Lilburn, Ga., who starred at Parkview High School, Blanton is now hitting .388 on the season. He leads the Sun Belt Conference with 20 runs scored and is second to teammate Matt Rose with four home runs.

His honor this week marks the third time in the last two seasons that a Georgia State player has been recognized as a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. All-American Nic Wilson earned the award twice in 2014.