Joey Walls named National Player of the Week

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Joey Walls Jr being walked during UNLV's single-game contest against Arizona State University. Photo by Jordan Anders-McClain.

After going 12-for-17 at the plate and leading the Hustlin’ Rebels to a 4-0 record last week, Joey Walls Jr. was named the Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week. 

“I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Walls said. “They push me each and every day.”

The junior right fielder batted .706 with three home runs, 12 hits, 13 RBIs, 11 runs, and a grand slam which also got Walls his first Mountain West Player of the Week announced on April 4.  

During UNLV’s single-game contest against UC Riverside on April 5, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced him as national player of the week.

Walls, during the game, went 2-for-3 at the plate, improving his overall batting average to .454 on the season. 

With his batting average at .454 through April 5, Walls has the sixth highest batting average in the nation and ranks fifth in the nation with 97 at-bats. He also ranks eighth in slugging percentage at .895 and ninth in most doubles so far this season with 15. 

Dating back to last Tuesday, when UNLV took on Arizona State University at the Las Vegas Ballpark, Walls went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs.

Graphic by Madison Faries.

The Hustlin’ Rebels then traveled to Albuquerque where they swept the New Mexico Lobos to improve to 11-1 in conference play for the first time ever.

In Albuquerque, Walls would go 10-for-14 at the plate with three home runs, 13 RBIs, and nine runs. During the last game of the series, Walls would go 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, three doubles, and the first grand slam of the season for the Rebels.

“It was fun traveling to New Mexico, we had fun,” Walls said. “We came ready to go out as a team, we pitched well, played defense, we all hit, and it was a huge team weekend that carried into today as well [referring to UNLV beating UC Riverside 12-1].”

Walls, in his first year at UNLV after transferring from the College of Southern Nevada, has appeared and started in 25 of the 29 Hustlin’ Rebels games so far this season. He has recorded 44 hits on 97 at-bats. 

Catch Joey Walls and the rest of the Hustlin’ Rebels during their 13-game homestand in the month of April. UNLV will host UNR in a three-game series beginning on April 8, first pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

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