Brandon Rogers Postgame Line at AlexanderBrandon Rogers Player of the Week Square
Chris Lyons/Purdue Athletics

2 Slams, 13 RBI Makes Rogers Big Ten Player of the Week

by Ben Turner

ROSEMONT, Ill. Brandon Rogers hit two of Purdue Baseball’s four grand slams while recording a league-leading 13 RBI over five games, earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors for the productive performance.

Rogers helped the Boilermakers score 51 runs while posting a 4-1 record during their busiest week of the season. He finished the week 9-for-22 with a 1.322 OPS, hitting safely in all five games and extending his on-base streak to 20 consecutive contests.

Rogers joins Aaron Manias as active Boilermakers to claim Big Ten Player of the Week honors. Both players posted a multi-homer game during Purdue’s six-game homestand that concluded with Wednesday’s win vs. UIC.

Rogers joined Neal Gorka (April 2006) as Boilermakers this century to hit two grand slams in the same week. He cleared the bases in the first inning of the UIC win, teaming up with Trey Swiderski for Purdue’s first set of back-to-back jacks this season. Rogers hit another 400-foot home run in the eighth inning for his first collegiate multi-homer game.

Rogers’ second grand slam punctuated the scoring in a six-run third inning Sunday at Michigan State, helping the Boilers win their first series in East Lansing since 2009.

ROGERS’ BIG WEEK
• 9-for-22, 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, BB, HBP, 6 R, 19 TB, 1.322 OPS

ROGERS’ 20-GAME ON-BASE STREAK (since Feb. 21)
• 30-for-69 (.435/.513/.754), 5 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 8 BB, 3 HBP, 21 R, 6 SB, 1.267 OPS

Defensively in center field, Rogers made two highlight-reel catches to take away hits against the Spartans. He made a diving catch to rob a base hit in the eighth inning of Friday’s game and denied a hitter a likely double while crashing into the wall in left center on a catch in the second inning of Saturday’s win.

Rogers also contributed an RBI double Saturday as the Boilermakers rallied from an 8-1 deficit with 15 unanswered runs, evening the series with a 16-13 victory.

Purdue goes for its 20th win of the season Tuesday as midweek play continues with a 6:30 p.m. ET game at Indiana State.