On Tuesday, the Minor League Sports Report chose its Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for Week 2 in the Pecos League. Salina Stockade OF Aaron Takacs was selected as the Player of the Week while Houston Apollos starter Kyle Atkinson was named the top pitcher for Week 2.

Player of the Week: Aaron Takacs, Salina Stockade

Takacs had a very impressive week for the Salina Stockade, going 8-18 (.444) with nine RBI and seven runs scored. He also homered three times, including becoming the first Pecos League player to homer twice in the same game this season.

The week began with a shortened performance on July 8, when the outfielder was 1-2 with two runs driven in against the Houston Apollos. The next day he became the second player this season to record four hits in a game, going 4-5 with a season high four RBI and three runs scored. This included him blasting two homers and adding two doubles.

On July 10, the outfielder had his only bad night of the week, going 0-5 with a strikeout, but he responded in a big way the following day, going 3-6 with four runs scored and three RBI. He came just a single short of hitting for the cycle in the 17-6 victory.

For the week, all of his eight hits went for extra bases, including three homers, four doubles, and a triple.

Pitcher of the Week: Kyle Atkinson, Houston Apollos

Atkinson became the first Pecos League pitcher to go the distance this season allowing five hits and one run in a 2-1 victory over the Roswell Invaders. Atkinson retired 15 of the first 18 batters he faced, with two walks and an error being the only blemishes against him.

He carried the no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth when Taichi Nakamura singled to start the inning. He would later allow a double in the frame, and Nakamura scored on a sacrifice fly becoming the only Roswell player to cross home plate.

In the eighth, Atkinson found himself in trouble when he gave up a single and double to start the frame, putting the tying run 90 feet away. However, he threw out Nakamura trying to steal home before getting a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat.

It took Atkinson just 70 pitches to go the distance. He threw 52 strikes.

By Robert Pannier