The New Orleans Privateers baseball team received both of the final weekly awards from the Southland Conference, according to a May 11 announcement by the conference office. Kruise Newman was named Hitter of the Week, while Luke Lycette earned Pitcher of the Week.
These awards highlight individual achievements in collegiate baseball and recognize standout performances among Southland Conference teams. The recognition comes as both players finished their regular season with notable contributions to their team.
Newman ended his season with a strong performance, recording a 10-game hitting streak. During the last week, he went 7-for-14 at bat and hit three home runs, driving in nine runs. All three home runs came during victories against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Over the full season, Newman totaled 14 home runs, 48 RBI, and maintained a .560 slugging percentage. He ranked within the top eight in each category among all hitters in the conference and was ninth for runs scored with 43.
Lycette contributed on the mound by pitching a complete game on Thursday night—the first nine-inning complete game for a Privateers pitcher since Brandon Mitchell achieved it in 2023 against McNeese. In that outing against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Lycette allowed two unearned runs on five hits during a series-opening win for New Orleans. He completed his senior year with five wins and three saves; his win total tied him for seventh among all Southland pitchers this season. This is Lycette’s second Pitcher of the Week honor after previously earning it following another series earlier this year.
This marks the first time since late 2023 that New Orleans has swept both weekly conference awards; that previous occasion saw Mitchell Sanford named Hitter of the Week and Brandon Mitchell as Pitcher of the Week.
