Student-Athlete of the Week - March 10, 2008

Name: John Shaffer
Sport: Baseball
Year: Junior
Position: 2B

John Shaffer has been named the Spartan Foundation Student-Athlete of the Week for his performance last week for the baseball team.

Shaffer was San Jose State’s offensive leader, guiding the Spartans to a 3-2 record over five games in six days, all away from home.

The San Jose native out of Archbishop Mitty High School scored in all five games during the week to extend his streak to seven games with at least one run. He has 12 runs during that stretch, now giving him a conference-leading 17 on the year. Shaffer barely kept the streak alive on Sunday, capping his week by scoring the game-winner in a come-from-behind, 6-5 triumph over Utah Valley when sophomore teammate Corey Valine was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Shaffer went 0-for-3 in the game, but walked once and was hit by a pitch twice himself, driving in one and scoring the final Spartan run.

Shaffer started the week by blasting a dramatic, three-run home run to break a 4-4, eighth-inning tie at the University of San Francisco en route to an 8-6 Spartan victory on Tuesday, March 4. For the game, he was 2-for-3 with two walks, his first home run of 2008, three RBI and a career-high four runs scored.

In a 6-3 win at UC Davis on Friday, March 7, at the River City Classic, Shaffer provided his third three-hit game of the year already, finishing 3-for-4 with one walk, one hit-by-pitch, his first stolen base of the season, one RBI and three more runs scored. The three hits matched a single-game career high, which he has now achieved six different times.

For the week, the junior started all five contests at second base, while also appearing at third base, as well as his natural shortstop position, and hitting .389 (7-for-18) with 10 runs, an average of two per game. He had one double, one home run, one steal and five RBI. Shaffer walked five times in all and was hit by a pitch three other times for an on-base percentage of .577 from the leadoff spot in the Spartan batting order.

Past 2007-08 Spartan Foundation Student-Athletes of the Week
August 27 - Jennifer Senftleben, Women's Volleyball
September 4 - Nick Cukar, Men's Soccer
September 10 - Keri Anglin, Women's Volleyball
September 17 - Ismael Ibarra, Men's Soccer
September 24 - Adam Tafralis, Football
October 1 - Matt Castelo, Football
October 8 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming
October 15 - Kristal Tsukano, Women's Volleyball
October 29 - Kelly Crow, Women's Volleyball
November 12 - Stephan Stallworth, Men's Golf
November 19 - C.J. Webster, Men's Basketball
November 26 - Adam Tafralis, Football
December 3 - Natalie White, Women's Basketball
December 10 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming
December 17 - Natalie White, Women's Basketball
January 1 - Justin Graham, Men's Basketball
January 7 - Caitlin Macky, Women's Swimming
January 14 - C.J. Webster, Men's Basketball
January 28 - Kendra Adama, Women's Water Polo
February 4 - Veronica Porte, Women's Gymnastics
February 11 - Silvana Dukic, Women's Tennis
February 18 - Raylyn Cardeno, Women's Gymnastics
February 25 - Brie Marhenke, Women's Swimming
March 3 - Veronica Porte, Women's Gymnastics
March 10 - John Shaffer, Baseball