WEEK 3 STATS: 6 games, .474 BA (9-for-19), 5 XBH, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, .524 OBP, 1.158 slugging pct.
FDU’s veteran first baseman was a monster at the plate last week, sending four of his nine hits over the wall. Slugging 1.158 for the week, Giakas recorded at least one hit in each of Fairleigh Dickinson’s six games. Spearheading the FDU attack during a 5-1 showing, the senior first baseman batted .474 (9-for-19) with five extra-base hits, eight RBI and six runs scored. The power surge had no negative effect on Giakas’ rate of contact at the plate as the New York City product struck out only once in 22 plate appearances. Giakas was a nightmare for opposing pitchers during Fairleigh Dickinson’s four-game sweep of Lehigh, belting four round-trippers against the Patriot League foe. He victimized the Mountain Hawks by driving in at least one run in each of the four contests. Giakas wasted no time while battering Lehigh’s pitching, launching a two-run homer in the first inning of the series opener. After going 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the 10-6 series-opening win, Giakas unloaded a three-run bomb in the second inning of Game 2 as the Knights rolled to a 7-0 triumph. The native Staten Islander plated a first-inning run with a single in Game 3, a 5-4 win for FDU, before belting a pair of round-trippers in Sunday’s series finale. Giakas broke a 1-1 tie with a solo shot in the fourth inning and disrupted a 3-3 stalemate in the eighth inning with another solo blast. He started the week by logging pair of base hits and a sacrifice in the Knights’ 7-6 victory over Patriot League member Lafayette. One day later, he doubled once in three plate appearances against Big East member St. John’s.