May 5, 2003

NEW ORLEANS, La. - One day after helping the Green Wave put the finishing touches on a 4-0 week, Tulane University baseball standout Jonny Kaplan was named Conference USA Hitter of the Week by the league office Monday morning.

Kaplan, who was named C-USA Hitter of the Week back on Feb. 10, claimed his second C-USA weekly honor after hitting .474 with three doubles, three RBI and a trio of stolen bases. Along the way, Kaplan helped the Green Wave sweep C-USA foe Cincinnati over the weekend and spearheaded a 9-5 victory over arch-rival LSU last Tuesday in the Louisiana Superdome.

The speedy outfielder tallied multiple-hit games in each of the last four Green Wave contests, and got the week off on a positive note with a 3-for-5 showing against the Tigers, belting a three-run, two-out double of the wall in left to give Tulane a 3-0 lead it would never relinquish.

Kaplan posted a pair of hits in each Bearcat game, including a two-double showing on Saturday. In addition to a stolen base against LSU, Kaplan swiped a pair of bags Sunday vs. Cincinnati to bring his season total to 39. For the week, Kaplan tallied a .632 slugging percentage with three doubles and six singles in 19 at-bats, and a .500 on-base percentage with nine hits and a walk as the Green Wave's table setter.

Defensively, Kaplan was superb with 11 putouts in the outfield, including a pair of highlight-reel grabs against LSU to rob the Tigers of a big inning in the sixth.

For the season, Kaplan ranks second on the team with a .372 batting average, 16 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBI. He is second on the squad with a .442 on-base percentage, and is now just 13 stolen bases away from Andy Cannizaro's single-season record of 52 set during the 2001 season.

Kaplan and Tulane will enjoy a rare week off in midweek play before returning to C-USA action on Friday, May 9 when they travel to Kentucky to open a three-game series with Louisville. Following the three-game slate with the Cardinals, Tulane closes out the regular season with a Tuesday night Popeyes Cup contest against UNO at Zephyr Field and a three-game slate against conference opponent East Carolina beginning on Thursday, May 15.