Justin Miller Named Big Ten Player of the Week

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Justin Miller, the hot-hitting senior third baseman for the Ohio State baseball team, has been selected as the Big Ten Conference’s Player of the Week for his efforts last week, including leading the team to a series win at first-place Illinois. He has 10 hits in his last 14 at-bats (.715).

Miller is the eighth Buckeye to earn a Big Ten weekly award this season, which sets a single season Ohio State record for weekly conference awards. The 2004 team held the previous record with players honored by the Big Ten a total of seven times.

Miller, a two-time senior captain from Dayton, Va., and Turner Ashby High School, led Ohio State to a series victory at Illinois over the weekend, placing his team just one half-game back of Minnesota for the Big Ten lead. The senior hit .667 in the series, reaching base at a .714 clip while slugging for a 1.250 mark for an OPS of 1.964. The third baseman also scored four runs and drove in five on three extra-base hits, including two home runs, in the three-game set.

Miller had two multi-hit games, including a 4-for-5 performance on Saturday in which he recorded three RBI while scoring three runs on a double and a home run, giving his squad the 10-7 win. In the series finale on Sunday, he went 3-for-4 with another homer and a pair of RBI to give the Buckeyes the series victory in a 12-7 decision. The weekend performance upped Miller’s batting average 22 points and his slugging percentage 47 points.

After another three-hit game Tuesday against Eastern Michigan, Miller’s average had climbed to .299 this season.

The weekly honor is the second for an Ohio State hitter this season and the second in Miller’s career. Miller was also honored on May 12 last year.

2009 Ohio State Big Ten Player/Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 23 – Drew Rucinski, Pitcher
Mar. 2 – Dan Burkhart, Player
Mar. 16 – Alex Wimmers, Pitcher
Mar. 23 – Alex Wimmers, Pitcher
Apr. 14 – Alex Wimmers, Pitcher
Apr. 21 – Jake Hale, Pitcher
May 4 – Alex Wimmers, Pitcher
May 12 – Justin Miller, Player

OSU Athletics Release

Big Ten Release