FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University junior Anthony Hajjar was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball Player of the Week while freshman EJ Ashworth was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Week after helping the Stags clinch a berth in the 2012 MAAC Championship tournament.
 
Hajjar hit .500 (8-for-16), slugged .750, drove in eight runs, including two game-winners, and posted an on-base percentage of .529 to power the Stags to a 3-1 week. The first baseman was flawless defensively in 38 chances. Hajjar began the week by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, a walk, five RBI and two runs scored in a 19-4 non-league rout of NJIT. In the Stags' 1-0 victory over Marist on Thursday, Hajjar drove in the game's only run which clinched Fairfield's first MAAC Championship berth in more than a decade. In the first game of Friday's doubleheader, Hajjar went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. In the regular season finale, Hajjar drove in the game-winning run, a walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning.
 
Hajjar is batting .333 this season with 65 hits which is good for fifth in the MAAC. Hajjar, who has appeared in 52 games with 51 starts, leads the team with 36 RBI and is second in runs scored with 35. In three seasons with the Stags, Hajjar has collected 171 hits which is good for eighth all-time at Fairfield.
 
Ashworth turned in a dominant performance against Marist on Thursday, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings, striking out seven batters and scattering four hits to combine for his first career shutout. After allowing a pair of hits in the second inning, the right hander retired seven of the next eight batters he faced. He also fanned three of the final six batters he faced in his outing.
 
Ashworth (5-6) is fourth in the MAAC in ERA this season, yielding just 2.97 runs. He has struck out 46 batters in 57.2 innings of work.
 
It is the second consecutive week and third time this season in which a Stag has been chosen MAAC Player of the Week. Junior Jack Giannini took home the honor last week while Ryan Plourde picked it up earlier in the season. It is also the third time this season in which a Stag was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Week. Seniors Brett Shulick and Scott Warwick took home the honors in April.
 
Fairfield (27-26; 14-10 MAAC) is the third seed in the 2012 MAAC Championship tournament and will face No. 2 Canisius College in the opening round on May 24 at 7pm at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy, N.Y. The winner of the double elimination tournament will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Tickets are available for purchase on maac.ticketleap.com. For more information about the event, visit MAAC Championship Central.