By Tim Stried, SID
April 29, 2002

Bluffton College senior BRAD BUCKINGHAM (Geneva, Ind./South Adams) has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference player-of-the-week in baseball for his efforts last week in Bluffton's three-game series against Hanover College.

Playing centerfield for Bluffton and batting in the leadoff position, Buckingham was 8-for-12 (.667 average) at the plate for Beavers against Hanover with a double and four runs scored in the series.

Bluffton won the first two games of the series over Hanover, which entered the weekend in second place in the HCAC, as Buckingham led the way with a combined 7-for-8 performance in those two wins. Bluffton is now 9-9 in the conference, marking their most HCAC wins since BC joined the league prior to the 1999 season.

Buckingham leads Bluffton with 46 hits on the season, which is just four away from the school single-season record of 50 set by Matt Henderson in 1988. Buckingham is currently batting .407 with nine doubles, three homeruns and 20 RBI's. Against HCAC opponents, he ranks among the league's leaders in average (.417 ranks 8th), slugging percentage (.667 ranks 8th), runs scored (16 ranks 5th), hits (25 ranks 3rd), doubles (6 ranks 4th) and homeruns (3 is tied for 2nd).

Buckingham owns school records in hits with 166 and runs scored with 106. His season-high 10-game hitting streak was halted on Wednesday in a non-conference game at Cedarville University.

An honorable mention All-HCAC selection each of his first three seasons, Buckingham received the A.C. Burcky Award on April 16, given annually to the top senior male student-athlete as selected by the BC athletic department.