Brusa named Eastern League Player of the Week

RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond Flying Squirrels first baseman/outfielder Gio Brusa has been named Eastern League Player of the Week for the period of June 17-23, the league announced on Monday afternoon.

Over his six games played during the week, Brusa hit .400 (8-for-20) with three homers, three doubles, eight RBIs, six runs scored, five walks and posted a 1.000 slugging percentage. For the week, he led all Eastern League hitters in slugging percentage, total bases (20) and OPS (1.520). He also tied the league lead in home runs and walks (5). His three doubles and eight RBIs were tied for second in the circuit.
Brusa, a native of Lodi, Calif., is batting .260 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in his 44 games with the Flying Squirrels this season. He is tied for second on the team with year with seven homers and 11 doubles.
During Richmond's current four-game winning streak, Brusa homered in three consecutive games from Thursday through Sunday in Trenton and Binghamton. He is currently on a nine-game hitting streak since June 14, the longest by a Flying Squirrels hitter this year, during which he is batting .367 (11-for-30) with four homers, four doubles, 10 RBIs, nine runs scored and eight walks.
The switch-hitter was a key contributor in four wins on Richmond's last road trip. On Thursday in Trenton, Brusa hit a two-run, go-ahead homer to help the Flying Squirrels to a 4-3 win. Friday night, Brusa hit a solo homer to help extend Richmond's lead late in a 3-1 win at Binghamton.
Tweet from @GoSquirrels: This one is WAAAAY gone Gio Brusa crushes a long homer for the second straight night and we're leading 4-1 in the 8th pic.twitter.com/bvYC06fFWA
He provided nearly all of the Flying Squirrels' offense in a 4-2 win against the Rumble Ponies at NYSEG Stadium on Saturday night. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his third longball in three days, and added an RBI double in the sixth to help Richmond to a 4-2 victory.
Tweet from @GoSquirrels: Another homer for Gio Brusa His third in the last three games has us up 2-0 in the first inning in Binghamton pic.twitter.com/i9IGuihVRj
Brusa played a major part in completing the Flying Squirrels' road sweep in Binghamton on Sunday afternoon. He broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth inning with an RBI single. With Richmond leading, 4-3, in the bottom of the eighth, Brusa fielded a single by Jason Krizan and threw out David Thompson at the plate attempting to score, holding the lead. Richmond went on to win by one run.
Tweet from @GoSquirrels: First he gets the go-ahead hit, and then he gets it done in the field Gio Brusa fires a strike home to throw out the potential tying run at the plate 💪 pic.twitter.com/VVLC0Ynaz8
On the season, the Flying Squirrels have had three players selected as Eastern League Player of the Week, which is the most in the league for the year. New Hampshire is the only other team with multiple Player of the Week recipients. Jacob Heyward won the award for April 29-May 5 and Zach Houchins was selected for June 3-9.
The Flying Squirrels host the Eastern League All-Star Week presented by Genworth, which begins on Sunday, July 7 with Mayor Levar Stoney's All-Star Week Kickoff, a free event on Brown's Island with live music and selections from Richmond's renowned food and beverage scene. The events continue with the All-Star Country Music Jam on Monday, July 8, featuring headliners Big & Rich at Virginia Credit Union Live at Richmond Raceway. The All-Star Celebrity Home Run Derby takes place on Tuesday, July 9 at The Diamond, featuring stars from across the sports and entertainment world. The week concludes with the Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 10. For tickets and information, visit SquirrelsBaseball.com/AllStar.
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