SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State sophomore third baseman Joey Polak has been selected by Collegiate Baseball as one of its national players of the week after a red-hot five-game stretch that included four home runs last week. Additionally, Polak was cited for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week recognition after hitting .455 and driving in eight runs on the week.

Polak went 10-for-22 at the plate and slugged 1.045 to help MSU win four of its five games last week, including a second-straight MVC series win at Southern Illinois over the weekend. The Quincy, Ill., product registered multi-hit performances in four-straight games—all MSU victories—and became the ninth player in program history to homer three times in a game Friday in the Bears' 10-5 come-from-behind win in Carbondale.

The honor is the first Valley award for Polak as a Bear, as well as the first national player of the week citation for a Missouri State player since Jake Burger picked up the same honor on April 24, 2017.

Missouri State (11-20, 4-2 MVC) continues its nine-game road swing with a Tuesday (April 9) non-conference meeting at Kansas. First pitch from Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence is slated for 6 p.m. (CDT).