Tuesday, April 28, 1998 | 10:14 a.m.
By Steve Guiremand
Surprise, surprise. Stars 1B/DH Eddie Williams was named the Pacific Coast League's Batter of the Week for April 20-26. All Williams did during that six-game span was amass 14 hits in 25 at-bats (.560) with six home runs, five doubles, 20 RBI and 10 runs scored. His slugging percentage was an amazing 1.480. ... Stars manager Jerry Royster gave Williams the night off for most of Monday night's 2-1 loss to Memphis. "I hate to give him the day off, but I don't want to wipe him out," Royster said. Williams did enter the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and flew out to the wall in right. ... Outfielder Chris Prieto, who was hitting .276 as the Stars' leadoff hitter before going on the disabled list with a nerve injury in his thumb, is going to Rancho Cucamonga to try out a protective device for his thumb. "If it works out, he'll come back and play here," Royster said. "He's eligible to come off the disabled list right now. But if it doesn't work, he'll have to have surgery and he'll miss the rest of the season." Stars trainer George Poulis said Prieto is suffering from neuritis. "He has a lot of scar tissue from breaking his thumb in two or three places (in 1996). The thumb is not the problem, it's the nerve. It has swelling around it." Prieto has been taking anti-inflamatory drugs for the injury. ... Right-hander Brad Kaufman made an impressive 1998 debut for the Stars Monday night. Kaufman, who was 0-5 at Las Vegas last year, pitched eight innings and allowed eight hits and two earned runs, walking four while striking out two. "He threw a very nice game," Royster said. "He's throwing the ball harder than last year. You can already see that in one game. His last game in Mobile he hit 95 (miles per hour). But you can also tell by the way the batters are swinging that he's throwing faster."
Upcoming games
The Stars were to conclude their series with the Redbirds with a rare Buisnessman's Special today at 12:15 with right-hander Stan Spencer (3-0, 3.91) scheduled to start against Memphis left-hander Brian Barnes (0-0, 5.06). Following a day off on Wednesday, the Stars resume their home stand with a four-game series against the Oklahoma Redhawks, the farm team for the Texas Rangers, on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. with left-hander Heath Murray (2-1, 3.70) opposing right-hander Terry Clark (2-1, 4.26).
Attendance
Monday's crowd: 2,505.
Season total: 35,886 (11 dates).
Average per date: 3,262.
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