LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (March 4) – After helping the program extend its winning streak to five games, California (PA) senior first baseman Payton Conte was chosen the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Athlete of the Week on Tuesday afternoon.

Conte posted a .538 average (7-for-13), 1.269 OPS, six RBI and five runs scored, as the Vulcans won all three games last week. He delivered a two-run double in the seventh inning and scored twice on Wednesday in a 9-6 win at Salem. Conte then combined for six hits in a pair of victories over Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) programs Northwood (MI) and Tiffin (OH) in Florida. The California native collected three hits and scored one run in a 6-2 victory on Sunday over Northwood, which has made seven-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Conte tallied three hits, including two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored yesterday in a 9-6 win against Tiffin, which advanced to the G-MAC Tournament Championship last spring.

A 6-foot-4 senior, Conte is hitting at a .526 clip (10-for-19) with a .545 on-base percentage and a .684 slugging percentage this season. He also has totaled nine RBI and eight runs scored while helping the Vulcans open the year with five-consecutive victories for the first time in at least two decades.

Conte garnered the weekly league accolade for the third time in his career, as he received the laurel twice last season prior to being tabbed the PSAC West Athlete of the Year.

Cal has five games left on its schedule this week while in Florida, including three more contests against G-MAC members.