The Valparaiso University baseball team earned recognition from the Missouri Valley Conference again this week, as redshirt freshman Javin Gauthier (De Pere, Wis. / De Pere) was named the league's Player of the Week on Tuesday.
 
Gauthier posted a slash line of .667/.765/1.083 in three games this week, racking up eight hits including three for extra bases and his first collegiate home run to help Valpo take two of three in South Carolina. He totaled 13 bases, scored six runs and drove in eight while also drawing five walks and posting a perfect fielding percentage on the left side of the Valpo infield, splitting time between third and short.
 
Gauthier was on base four times on Friday at Wofford before recording three hits and four RBIs including the long ball to help Valpo beat USC Upstate 10-5 on Saturday, a victory over a 36-win NCAA Regional Team from last season. He had three hits on Sunday, his third multi-hit game of the weekend, and played a key role in Valpo's 21-9 victory at Presbyterian. The team had 20 hits, its highest total in any game since 2016, and had its highest road run total since 2005.
 
Gauthier was also listed at No. 33 on D1Baseball.com's Top 100 Hitters this week, the second straight week a Beacon has earned a place on that list.
 
Valpo has earned MVC honors in each of the first two weeks of the season after Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) was named the league's Freshman of the Week after the opening weekend. Gauthier became Valpo's first MVC Player of the Week since April 17, 2023 (Jake Skrine). He joins Skrine, Sam Shaikin, Kaleb Hannahs and Nolan Tucker as Valpo players who have won MVC Player of the Week since the Beacons joined the league.