CHARLOTTE, N.C. - VMI first baseman Jordan Ballard has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Co-Player of the Week for games played March 30-April 5, as announced Monday by the league office.

Ballard (Troy, Va./Monticello) hit .647 (11-17) in four games for the Keydets with seven runs scored, seven driven in, six doubles and one home run.  He had multiple hits in each game, including three-hit games in three-straight outings, in addition to a 1.176 slugging percentage and .684 on-base average.  In Friday's win over Liberty, the junior was 3-5 with three doubles and four RBI.  The next day, he was 3-3 with a home run, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.

The VMI first baseman has enjoyed a banner 2009 thus far, leading the team in home runs with six after hitting 12 in 2008, a total that ranked him sixth in the Big South.  He is hitting .381 with a team-high 10 doubles as well. Ballard's honor is the first Big South Player of the Week award, and second conference honor, for VMI this season, as Ballard joins teammate Chris Henderson, who picked up the Pitcher of the Week honor on March 23.

VMI baseball will return to the diamond Tuesday, as the Keydets play host to the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth. Game time at Gray-Minor Stadium is set for 5 p.m. 

Portions of this release are courtesy of the Big South Office of Public Relations