NCBWA NAMES PRO-LINE CAP NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
released the Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week awards for
the period ending March 21, today.


James Madison sophomore centerfielder Kellen Kulbacki was named
National Hitter of the Week, while Southern Miss senior right-handed closer
Daniel Best and Texas Tech redshirt freshman right-hander Miles
Morgan
were named National Co-Pitchers of the Week. The NCBWA Board
reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners
each Tuesday throughout the season.



In five games last week, Kulbacki was 14-for-19 (.737) with two doubles,
four homers and 12 RBIs while walking once and being hit twice. He had four
hits in three of the five games. He was hit in the head by a pitch in his
first at bat in game two of the Delaware series after going 4-for-4 with
two homers and five RBIs in the opener · and ended up going 1- for-4, but
the one hit drove in the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth, 6-5. He
has only two at bats in the second game vs. VT and went 1-of-2 before leaving
the game. The Hershey, Pa., native leads the Colonial Athletic Association
in batting average, RBIs (39), homers (11), slugging percentage (1.107),
on-base percentage (.604), total bases (83) and hit by pitch (10).


Best, a Ruston, La., native and the Southern Miss closer, pitched in
all four of the Golden Eagles' games last week, earning a win and a save.
In seven innings pitched, he allowed just one unearned run on three hits,
striking out 10 and walking none. He earned the win on Saturday vs. Troy,
retiring 12 consecutive batters, including seven via the strikeout.


Morgan, a Lubbock native, turned in one of the best pitching performances
by a Red Raider in school history in Saturday's 2-1 win over Texas. The
redshirt freshman dominated the then 16th-ranked Longhorns by turning in
his first career complete game that included 15 strikeouts and no walks.
Morgan became the first Tech pitcher to throw a complete game this season
and in the process he set a new Tech record for the most strikeouts in a
Big 12 game.


Over nine innings of work, Morgan allowed just one run and scattered
four hits en route to his fourth win of the season. His 15 strikeouts pushed
his season total to 60 and that currently leads all Big 12 pitchers so far
this season. The 15 strikeouts were the most by a Tech pitcher since Monty
Ward struckout 18 against Lindenwood in 1998 and the most thrown against
at Texas team since Baylor struckout 16 Longhorn hitters on April 9, 1999.


With this week's honor, Best and Morgan automatically are 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 second 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 Web site
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 Web site, www.ncbwa.com.


For more information on the Pro-Line Cap Players of the Week, contact
Mike Montoro at the
University of Southern Mississippi at 601-266-5947.


2006 Pro-Line Cap Players of the Week:

Feb. 14: Aaron Luna, Rice (Hitter); Nick Schmidt,
Arkansas (Pitcher)


· Feb. 21: Chris Swauger, The Citadel (Hitter);
Barry Enright, Pepperdine and Brad Furnish, TCU (Pitcher)


· Feb. 28: Kyle Russell, Texas (Hitter); Rodney
Brantley, Dallas Baptist (Pitcher)


· March 7: Luke Hopkins, New Mexico State (Hitter);
Joba Chamberlain, Nebraska (Pitcher)


· March 14: Chris Gradoville, Creighton (Hitter);
David Price, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)


· March 21: Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison (Hitter);
Daniel Best, Southern Miss and Miles Morgan, Texas Tech (Pitcher)


· March 28: Trey McDaniel, Western Carolina (Hitter);
Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky (Pitcher)


· April 4: Andy D'Alessio, Clemson (Hitter); Tim
Lincecum, Washington (Pitcher)


· April 11: Reid Fronk, North Carolina (Hitter);
Adam Ottavino, Northeastern (Pitcher)


· April 18: Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt (Hitter);
Mike Ballard, Virginia (Pitcher)


· April 25: Case Cassedy, Furman (Hitter); Brooks
Brown, Georgia (Pitcher)


· May 2: Emeel Salem, Alabama (Hitter); Bobby Blevins, LeMoyne (Pitcher)

· May 9: Jacob Dempsey, Winthrop (Hitter); Nick Jones, Oral Roberts (Pitcher)

· May 16: Josh Dew, Troy (Hitter); Brad Lincoln, Houston (Pitcher)


Related links:



Pro-Line Cap Player of the Week plaques