Ernie Ruch, a Northwestern graduate and current Mansfield University catcher, was recently named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Player of the Week.

Ruch helped Mansfield go 4-2 last week to stay in the race for a PSAC tournament berth as he hit .500 (7-for-14) with nine runs scored, a grand slam and seven RBI. He hit safely in all six games, had a .714 slugging percentage and a .611 on-base percentage for an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.325.On Monday (Apr. 25), with Mansfield entering the first game of a make-up doubleheader with Bloomsburg in the midst of a seven-game conference losing streak, the sophomore entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter with the Mountaineers trailing 4-3 and drilled a grand slam to ignite Mansfield to an 11-4 win.In Friday's doubleheader sweep of Shippensburg, Ruch went a combined 3-for-5 with three runs and a pair of RBI as Mansfield outscored the Red Raiders by a combined score of 24-8. In Saturday's split with Shippensburg, Ruch scored four times as he went 1-for-1 and drew three walks in a 14-3 win in Game 1 and then went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 7-5 loss in Game 2.