DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
(NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week awards
for the period ending May 8. Illinois senior second baseman J.R. Kyes
was named National Hitter of the Week, while Houston sophomore right-hander
Brad Lincoln was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board
reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners
each Tuesday throughout the season.
Kyes'
crowning moment was a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh
of Saturday's doubleheader second game. The bomb to left field lifted Illinois
to a 12-9 comeback victory. The Springfield, Ill., native was 9-for-17 (.529)
against Northwestern with four home runs, 13 RBI, nine runs, two doubles,
a triple, a slugging percentage of 1.471 and an on-base percentage of .600
in the lead-off slot. Add in Tuesday's game vs. Southern Illinois and Kyes
was 10-for-22 (.455) with 13 RBI, 10 runs, four homers and a 1.182 slugging
percentage for the week, all from the leadoff position in the batting order.
Lincoln became just the eighth player in Conference USA history to pitch
10 innings in a game on Saturday vs. Saint Louis. He struck out a career-high
15 batters without yielding a walk, allowing one run on five hits. The Clute,
Texas native retired 22 of the final 23 batters that he faced, including
15 in a row at one point. He teamed with reliever Justin Vaclavik to set
new school and C-USA single-game records for batters struck out with 21.
With this week's honor, Lincoln automatically is named to the watch list
for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the
year, sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.
The Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Cap Co. supplies the official cap to more
than 100 Division I college teams. This is the first season Pro-Line has
sponsored the NCBWA's Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for
plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional
consideration. For more information about Pro-Line, visit their website
at www.prolinecap.com.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college
baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of
the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's
official website, www.ncbwa.com.
2005 Pro-Line Cap Players of the Week:
• Feb. 8: Grant Rembert, Elon (Hitter); Erik Averill, Arizona State (Pitcher)
• Feb. 15: Scott Bridges, Arkansas (Hitter); Brian Bogusevic, Tulane (Pitcher)
• Feb. 22: Drew Stubbs, Texas (Hitter); Taylor Fowler, Arkansas State (Pitcher)
• March 1: Kurt Eichorn, Kent State (Hitter); Tyler Chambliss, Florida State (Pitcher)
• March 8: Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech (Hitter); J.C. Biagi, Centenary (Pitcher)
• March 15: Jeremy Slayden, Georgia Tech (Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU and Gib Hobson, N.C. State (Pitcher)
• March 22: Alex Gordon, Nebraska (Hitter); Luke Hochevar, Tennessee (Pitcher)
• March 29: Josh Rodriguez, Rice (Hitter); Brent Gaphardt, Delaware (Pitcher)
• April 5: Mike Baxter, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Max Scherzer, Missouri (Pitcher)
• April 12: Dusty Bensko, Illinois (Hitter); J. Brent Cox, Texas (Pitcher)
• April 19: Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Adrian Alaniz, Texas (Pitcher)
• April 26: Brandon Taylor, BYU (Hitter); Ricky Brooks, East Carolina (Pitcher)
• May 3: Doug Beck, Utah (Hitter); Matt Maloney, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
• May 10: J.R. Kyes, Illinois (Hitter); Brad Lincoln, Houston (Pitcher)
• May 17: Justin Beam, Pacific (Hitter); Jeff Denlea, Hofstra (Pitcher)
• May 24: Craig Cooper, Notre Dame and Adam Tucker, Birmingham-Southern
(Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU (Pitcher)
Related links:
• Pro-Line Cap to sponsor NCBWA Players of the Week
• Pro-Line Cap Player of the Week plaques