SPARTANBURG, S.C. — For the second year in a row, Appalachian State University swept the Southern Conference's April baseball awards, as second baseman Wes Hobson was named the SoCon's co-Hitter of the Month and closer Chris Patterson was tabbed as the conference's Pitcher of the Month, the league office announced on Thursday.

Hobson and Patterson led Appalachian to a 16-2 record in April. In 2009, third baseman Isaac Harrow and closer Zach Quate were named the SoCon's Hitter and Pitcher of the Month after leading ASU to an 18-2 April.

Hobson hit .449 (35-for-78) with six doubles, seven home runs, 25 RBI and 28 runs scored in 18 games in April. He hit safely in 17-of-18 games, including 12 multi-hit efforts, drove in at least one run 12 times and scored a run in all but one of the month's 18 contests. The senior's spectacular month was highlighted by a 4-for-5, three-RBI, two-run performance in the Mountaineers' 5-4, 10-inning win over Furman on April 3.

Not only did Hobson become Appalachian's all-time hits leader with a 4-for-5 effort, but his clutch hits were integral to the Mountaineers' come-from-behind victory. He tied Harrow's previous school record of 260 career hits with a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh and came around to score the winning run in the 10th after leading off the inning with his record-breaking 261st career hit, a clean single through the left side of the infield.

For the season, Hobson leads the SoCon in hitting (.405) and runs (57) and ranks among the conference leaders in slugging percentage (6th - .685), on-base percentage (6th - .474), hits (4th - 68), RBI (t-11th - 46), doubles (t-10th - 14), home runs (t-10th - 11) and total bases (3rd - 115).

Patterson won or saved nine of ASU's 16 April victories, going 2-0 with seven saves and a 0.54 ERA in 10 appearances. He recorded 25 strikeouts while issuing just one walk in 16.2 innings of work. In all, 39.1 percent of the 64 batters he faced on the month struck out while just 21.9 percent (14) reached base.

The right-handed senior, who did not allow an earned run over the final 13.2 innings of the month, highlighted the spectacular April by saving all three games of a SoCon series sweep over Davidson (April 9-11). In the second game of the three-game set, Patterson struck out seven Wildcats in two innings (a passed ball on third strikeout of the eighth inning allowed for the rare feat) to seal the Apps' 7-3 triumph.

For the season, Patterson sports a 2-1 record, 0.56 ERA, .179 opponents' batting average and 13 saves. He is tied with Virginia's Kevin Arico for the national saves lead and is on the official watch list for the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year award. His 13 saves are already a single-season school record (topping the 11 posted by Quate a year ago) and just four shy of the SoCon record of 17, set by Georgia Southern's Paul Thornton in 1993.

Hobson and Patterson lead Appalachian (31-9-1, 11-8-1 SoCon) into a pivotal SoCon series this weekend at Elon (31-18, 14-10 SoCon). Game times are set for 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Elon's Latham Park. All three games will be broadcast by the Appalachian ISP Sports Network and can be heard locally on WATA 1450 AM and worldwide at www.GoASU.com.