PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 21, 2006) -- University of Connecticut junior right fielder Josh Farkes (Boston, Mass.) was named the BIG EAST Baseball Player of the Week, for the week ending May 20. Cincinnati freshman right hander Steve Blevins was selected as BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week. The league announced the last weekly honors prior to the BIG EAST Baseball Championship, which is set to take place May 23-27 at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, Fla.

UConn is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face the No. 7 seed Cincinnati on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in a first round game. The game, and all UConn contests in the tournament, will be broadcast live by WHUS-91.7 FM radio.

Farkes hit safely in nine of his 18 at-bats overall (.500) on the week in leading the Huskies to five straight wins, including three in their final regular season conference series against Rutgers. Four of Farkes' six hits in 12 at-bats against the Scarlet Knights went for extra bases, including a double and three home runs. His three-run home run in Friday's 7-4 win proved to be the game-winner. In all, he drove in nine runs and scored four times.

Already the Cincinnati school record holder for wins by a freshman in a season, Blevins improved his overall record to 9-4 with a three-hit, complete-game shutout against St. John's (ranked No. 12 nationally in hitting) on Thursday. The right hander tied a career high with six strikeouts while walking just two and threw 145 pitches to help the Bearcats clinch a berth to the 2006 BIG EAST Championship. The pitcher of the week honor is Blevins' second this season. Thursday's outing marked his second career shutout and third complete game.

Yeah, he owned Rutgers. That was a great series I got to watch.

UConn was two wins away from 20 wins in the BE this year.