Alabama’s Sam Praytor Named SEC Baseball Player of the Week

The Crimson Tide’s catcher batted .429 on the week with three home runs

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama catcher Sam Praytor was selected as the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The award is the first of Praytor’s career and the first for the Crimson Tide this season.

Praytor becomes the first Crimson Tide player to earn the recognition since Sam Finnerty was named SEC Player of the Week on April 8, 2019. The weekly honor is also the Tide’s first since last season when Peyton Wilson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on March 2.

Player of the Week

Sam Praytor

• Led Alabama’s power surge during the week, homering in three of the Tide’s four games
• Batted .429 (6-14) with three homers, six RBI, four runs, two walks and a pair of hit-by-pitch
• Recorded at least one hit in all four games, finishing with six total hits
• Contributed at least one RBI all four games and at least one run in three of the four contests
• Paced UA in home runs and slugging percentage (1.071) while tying for the team lead in RBI with six
• Homered twice against Auburn, his first coming on Thursday night in the bottom of the eighth to tie things up and give the Tide a chance for the win in extras
• Praytor’s second home run came in the series finale, with his solo shot capping a three-run seventh that tied the game and shifted momentum in the Tide’s favor for the eventual series-clinching win in the ninth

Here is the full press release sent out by the SEC containing the full list of players of the week:

SEC Baseball Weekly Honors - April 19, 2021

Player of the Week: Sam Praytor, Alabama
Alabama's Sam Praytor totaled at least one hit in all four games, finishing with six hits, three of which were home runs. Praytor contributed at least one RBI in all four games and at least one run in three of the four contests during the week. Praytor homered twice against Auburn, his first coming on Thursday night in the bottom of the eighth to tie things up and give the Tide a chance for the win in extras. His second home run came in the series finale to help Alabama win the series.

Pitcher of the Week: Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss
Ole Miss' Doug Nikhazy stifled a potent Mississippi State lineup on Saturday in a complete game, one-hit shutout performance. Nikhazy went 9.0 IP for the first time in his career and became the first Rebel pitcher with a complete nine-inning game since 2014. He also tied his career best mark with 12 strikeouts, including a new high in SEC play. Nikhazy is the first Rebel with a one-hitter since Adam Yates in 2001.

Newcomer of the Week: Landon Sims, Mississippi State
Mississippi State's Landon Sims nailed down a pair of saves to help the Bulldogs win its fifth SEC series of the season against Ole Miss. In the series opener, Sims entered in the eighth inning and faced just six batters to seal up the victory. After a perfect eighth, Sims gave up a double, before a line-out double play cleared the bases. He then ended the series opening victory with a strikeout. On Sunday, Sims struck out the first batter of the ninth inning before a flyout. After an error, Sims got another ground ball and finished off his first multi-save week of his career.

Co-Freshman of the Week: Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
Arkansas' Cayden Wallace recorded a hit in all four games played in on the week and helped the Razorbacks win a home series against Texas A&M. Both of his multi-hit efforts came against the Aggies, matching his season high of three base knocks in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Wallace drove in a run in three of the four games played, including two in both the first and last game of the series against Texas A&M. The freshman's fielder's choice in the 10th inning of game two on Saturday resulted in a throwing error that scored the walk-off, game-winning run.

Co-Freshman of the Week: Jack Bulger, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt's Jack Bulger registered six hits across the weekend to help Vanderbilt claim a series win over fifth-ranked Tennessee. He posted back-to-back three-hit outings to close out the road series in Knoxville and added two RBI to his totals in the series finale to help the Commodores clinch the series. Bulger scored three runs across the week.