EL Player of the Week: Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Binghamton Mets outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending July 11th. The 6'3", 210 lb. slugger had an outstanding week for the B-Mets, hitting .469 (15-for-32) with six doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored, six RBI, two walks and a .844 slugging percentage over seven games. The 23-year old had multiple hits in five of the seven games he played in during the week, including going 4-for-4 with one double, three RBI and three runs scored in an 11-6 win at Altoona on Tuesday night. He currently has a nine-game hitting streak for the B-Mets during which he is batting .524 with 11 doubles and 14 runs scored. Nieuwenhuis, who is a native of Ripon, California, led all Eastern League players in extra-base hits (8), total bases (27) and doubles (6) last week. For the season he is currently leading the league in doubles (28) and extra-base hits (44), is tied for first in runs scored (68) and ranks second in total bases (170). Kirk, who will represent the Eastern Division at the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game presented by Ollie's Bargain Outlet on Wednesday night in Harrisburg, was selected by the New York Mets in the third round of the 2008 draft out of Azusa Pacific University.