LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Feb. 27) – The California (PA) baseball program swept the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West weekly awards for the first time in four years on Tuesday afternoon, as junior first baseman Payton Conte and sophomore pitcher Michael Valente were lauded by the league office.

Conte received PSAC West Athlete of the Week accolades for the first time in his career, while Valente garnered PSAC West Pitcher of the Week status following his first two career starts. The duo helped the Vulcans post a 2-2 record last week while playing Wheeling and Hillsdale (Mich.) at Wild Things Park.

A hometown product, Conte posted a .588 on-base percentage and a .714 on-base percentage while hitting in the middle of the lineup. He finished with a .500 average (7-for-14), three runs scored, five RBI, two stolen bases, one walk and two hit by pitch over four games. Conte collected at least one hit in each game and tallied a trio of multi-hit games at Wild Things Park. Last Tuesday, the 6-foot-4 junior reached base five times (two hits, one walk, two hit by pitch), drove in five runs behind a grand slam, scored three times and stole two bases in an 18-2 victory over Wheeling. Conte collected three hits on Sunday, as the Vulcans were swept in a doubleheader by Hillsdale. The California, Pennsylvania, native closed the week with a pair of singles in a 3-0 win over the Chargers on Monday.

Valente earned a pair of victories and posted a 0.75 ERA in his first two career starts. He issued zero walks and totaled five strikeouts over a combined 12.0 innings pitched and held opponents to a .159 average. In his first career start, Valente allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits over 6.0 innings (59 pitches) last Tuesday with Cal posting an 18-2 win against Wheeling. The 6-foot-0 sophomore then tossed 6.0 scoreless innings (64 pitches) and scattered two hits in a 3-0 victory over Hillsdale on Monday.

The Vulcans return to action next week with seven games in The Sunshine State, starting with a doubleheader against Assumption (Mass.) on Sunday, March 3, in Lake Worth Beach, Florida.