My Two Bits: Amanda Lorenz robbed of SEC weekly honors

Let me start by saying this, Georgia LF Cortni Emanuel is a talented athlete and a very good choice as the SEC Player of the Week. However, no player meant more to their team’s success last week than Amanda Lorenz.

Let’s start with the SEC release for this week’s honor:

Player of the Week
Cortni Emanuel • Georgia
Senior • OF • Missouri City, Texas

Emanuel hit .778 this week against No. 18/17 Alabama with an .833 on-base clip. Five of her seven hits never left the infield, bunting for a hit twice against the Crimson Tide. She moved into second all-time at Georgia with 318 hits. Emanuel added four stolen bases on the weekend and now has a career-best 46 this season. She scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh of Saturday’s comeback win over Alabama, clinching the series for the first time since 2005.

While the .778 batting average and .833 on-base percentage is certainly POW-worthy, her offensive output did little in the way of leading her team to success. This can be evidenced in her scoring three runs and driving in only two in Georgia’s series win against #17 Alabama.

The case for Lorenz:

The Florida offense literally goes the way of Lorenz. The junior from Moorpark, CA is the catalyst that makes the Gators offense click.

Florida began the week with a 5-1 win over rival #6 Florida State. With the game still scoreless, Lorenz led off the sixth with a single up the middle before swiping second on a wild pitch. That opened the flood gates. Lorenz would score on a Nicole DeWitt double and by the time the inning ended, the Gators led 5-0.

Florida earned a series win against #14 LSU as Lorenz went 5-8 with a double, a triple, two walks, two runs scored and four RBI.

In the Sunday finale, the Gators were down 3-0 in the fifth when Lorenz came up with the bases loaded. Lorenz hit a triple to left center that cleared the bases to tie the game. Four pitches later, Lorenz crossed home plate and scored the game winning run.

Overall, Lorenz finished the week with a .636 average and a .692 on base percentage.

What the SEC should have done:

The SEC should have allowed for Co-Players of the Week and awarded both Lorenz and Emanuel with the honor.

While Emanuel is deserving, it certainly feels like the SEC chose to honor the career accomplishments of a very talented player rather than award someone who literally carried her team on her back in three wins over Top-15 programs.

Florida will complete the regular season this weekend at Missouri before the SEC Tournament begins next week, also in Missouri. The Gators currently have the #3 RPI in the country and are squarely in position to host a regional and super regional series.