Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Sherman Blanford from men’s basketball and Jake Johansmeier from baseball have been named the EIU student-athletes of the week.
 
Blanford averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds per game in two games last week and was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week. The senior forward posted a .595 field-goal percentage (22-for-37) and went 14-for-14 from the foul line on the week.
 
Blanford scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds at Austin Peay. The Philadelphia, Pa., native followed that performance with 26 points and eight rebounds at Murray State. Blanford has now scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games.
 
Johansmeier led the Panthers to a 5-1 win over No. 14 Louisiana-Lafayette in the team's season opener on Friday, Feb. 14. He only allowed one run and three hits in six innings of action with four strikeouts. The sophomore pitcher was named the OVC’s Pitcher of the Week.
 
Johansmeier retired the first five batters of the game and nine of the first 10 batters he faced. He did not allow a hit until the fifth inning against a Ragin’ Cajun team that was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference after leading the nation in home runs a year ago.