Mendez Sweeps Weekly Baseball Accolades

BROOKLYN, N.Y.  – Senior outfielder Joe Mendez (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) swept the weekly baseball accolades earlier today, earning D3baseball.com Team of the Week honors along with being named the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) baseball Player of the Week after pacing the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team with a career day at the plate on Saturday as the Bears went 2-0 on the week.

Last year's d3baseball.com First Team All-New York Region selection demolished Maritime pitching as St. Joseph's swept the Privateers on Saturday in their lone games of the week. Mendez went 4-for-5, smashing four home runs on the day, including a school-record-tying three in game one of the twinbill.

The senior finished game one of the doubleheader against Maritime 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a career-high eight RBI, with four coming on the slugger's first career grand slam and the program's first since 2010. Over the course of the doubleheader, the outfielder hit for the home run cycle and became the all-time career home run leader in school history with 14 dingers.

Mendez also finished with an impressive 11 RBI and five runs scored on the day and concluded the week with a staggering .750 on-base percentage and 3.200 slugging percentage as the Bears improved to 9-6 on the season. The senior is now batting a team-high .409 on the season and has a team-high five homers and 26 RBI.

The senior has now earned the D3baseball.com accolade for the second time in his four-year career and becomes the first Bear to earn recognition from D3baseball.com this year. Mendez is awarded USCAA Player of the Week for the second time in his career and has now taken home the weekly honor from AD3I three times during his career. Mendez follows teammates Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees HS) and Mike Cundari (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) as the lone winners of the Player of the Week award this season from the Association.

St. Joseph's (9-6) is back in action on Thursday, April 3rd at 4 p.m., hosting Baruch College at MCU Park.