FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University junior southpaw Aydin Palmer and redshirt junior right fielder Charlie Bussey III have been named the Conference Carolinas baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the week of Mar. 9-15.

A local product from Effingham, S.C., Palmer improved to 5-1 on the mound following an impressive 8.0-inning performance in a series-clinching 3-1 win over No. 9 Young Harri College on Saturday afternoon in Game 3. He yielded just one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and issued one walk. He retired the side in order four times and forced two double plays while facing 26 batters.

The Mountain Lions entered the contest as the second-best hitting team in NCAA Division II (.378 average) and third-best scoring team (12.9 runs per game).

Palmer ranks second in the Conference Carolinas with 44 strikeouts while sitting third with five victories.

Bussey III, a native of Graniteville, S.C., posted a .455 batting average with two home runs, two doubles, four runs batted in, six runs scored, and five stolen bases, as the Patriots played four nationally-ranked games last week. He reached base 13 times after going 5-for-11 at the plate and drawing seven walks.

On Tuesday, Bussey III reached base in all five plate appearances after going 2-for-2 with a solo homer, a double, three runs scored, and three walks versus No. 2 Catawba College.

In the three-game series against No. 9 Young Harris, he finished 3-for-9 with one homer, three runs batted in, three runs scored, four stolen bases, and four walks. Bussey III hit a go-ahead two-run home run in Game 3 in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the series over the Mountain Lions.

Bussey III leads NCAA Division II in multiple categories, including batting average (.529), hits (54), doubles (16), runs scored (52), and total bases (90). He also ranks second in the country with a .629 on-base percentage and third with 24 stolen bases.

The Patriots, now 21-5, moved up four positions in this week's D2 Baseball poll to No. 14. FMU will travel to No. 16 Wingate University on Tuesday, March 17, for a non-conference regional matchup before heading to Emmanuel University for a three-game conference series on Friday and Saturday.

Palmer is majoring in business administration and is a product of South Florence High School. Bussey III is pursuing a bachelor's degree in sport management and is a product of Aquinas High School.

   
        Aydin Palmer         Charlie Bussey III