During his nomination week, the junior had a huge day at the plate as part of a 12-1 win for the Gators over Lake Placid. Lopez went 3-for-5 with 5 RBI.

“I was feeling confident at the plate that night and picking up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand well, especially the breaking ball, which I collected two hits on during the game after hitting one of the furthest balls of my career off a fastball that went just foul,” Lopez told The Breeze. “I’m thankful my teammates were able to reach base to give me a chance to drive in runs. I’ve attempted to stay short on my swing this year, which has allowed me to make contact earlier in counts instead of getting behind.”

The junior is batting .326 on the year and is tied for the team lead in runs batted in and triples, and second in slugging percentage and hits.

Voting for April’s Athlete of the Month will open toward the end of the month. Stay up to date with Athlete of the Week selections on this website.