ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: CHRIS WALLACE

Chris Wallace

School: Advance

Sport: Baseball

Coach: Chuck Powers

Week Report: Wallace -- Southeast Missouri's home run leader -- hit four home runs last week, one in every game he played. The 6-foot-1, 215 pound first baseman provided 10 RBIs and was 7-for-15. As a pitcher, he suffered a loss in six innings despite striking out 12, walking one and giving up no earned runs. He gave up six hits and all five of the runs scored against him were unearned.

Season Report: Wallace is hitting .448 with 11 homers, 31 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 58 at-bats for the Hornets (12-7). His slugging percentage is 1.103. He has hit safely in 16 of the 17 games he's played this season and has homered in 10 of his last 13 games. On the mound, he is 2-2-1 with a 1.45 ERA. Wallace has struck out 37 and walked seven in 29 innings of work. All that with him playing on an injured ankle through much of the beginning of the season.

Coach's comments: "What makes his season more phenomenal, is that through the first four games, he had one RBI, no homers and was batting .333," Powers said. "From that point on, in the last 13 games, he's got 11 homers and 30 RBIs. It's just incredible. He's hit dingers off some good pitchers. I don't think it really matters who he's hitting off of. A couple of (his homers) just barely got over, but most of them would have been out of any park around here. I've never seen a high school player hit the ball as hard as he does and I'm not talking far. He hits the ball as hard as I've ever seen. And I'm not the only one who says that."