Players of the week

43

Jeffrey Johnson

Although the Tigers lost all three games against Cal Lutheran over the weekend, Jeffrey Johnson (senior) had a great series, tallying six hits and an RBI.

According to Johnson, he was successful this weekend because he felt very comfortable at the plate and was able to clear his mind and see the ball.

“I think part of it was my mindset,” Johnson said. “I have a lot fewer games left in my career than I would like, so I made an effort to just soak it all in, to play like I only have one game left.”

Despite their loss, Johnson said he was proud of the way the Tigers played on Saturday.

“We played the best baseball we’ve played all year,” Johnson said. “We continually fought back against a very good team in Cal Lu. l’m proud of the talent and the heart that we showed this weekend.”

Assistant coach Jesse Rodgers attributes Johnson’s performance this weekend to the hard work he has put in to practices not just this season, but throughout his Tiger career.

“Jeff is a tremendously hard worker,” Rodgers said via email. “He gets a ton of extra swings each week and does a great job on defense during practice. Jeff is definitely leaving his mark on this season and in our program. “

Rodgers also admires Johnson for the honorable teammate he is, on and off the field.

“Jeff is one of the best teammates that I have had the pleasure to coach,” Rodgers said. “He puts his teammates’ success ahead of anything else. His main goal is to help the team win any way that he can.”

Johnson said he is not ready for his baseball career to end and will miss the team that has helped him improve as a baseball player and person.

“There are countless people who have helped me evolve … throughout my career,” Johnson said. “I am very thankful for that. Baseball has been one of the most important things in my life for over a decade now, and I know I am going to miss it every day when this season finally ends.”

Sierra Slack

Sierra Slack (first-year) lead the Occidental women’s lacrosse team in two wins against Whittier College Saturday, as well as in their win against Chapman on Wednesday. Slack, who plays offense for the Tigers, had a total of seven goals and three assists this week.

According to Slack, the fact that the game was the last home game of the season was a motivator to her success this weekend.

“We definitely had a sense of urgency to shut Whittier down in order to secure a higher ranking before SCIAC playoffs,” Slack said. “In addition, it was our Senior Day. Saturday was a great opportunity to thank the seniors for how much they have helped me to grow as a person and player, and to tell them how much we will miss them next year.”

Head coach Stephanie Janice Mark said that she is proud of Slack’s performance this week and that she enjoys working with Slack because she is a good team player.

“Sierra did a great job of reading what Whittier’s defense was giving her,” Mark said. “She was able to dodge hard to goal, but also had three assists when her teammates were open. Sierra brings a lot of great energy to practice, and she is fun to work with. She is a very unselfish player who is always working hard.”

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