DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 4. Kentucky junior outfielder Sawyer Carroll was named National Hitter of the Week, while Southern Miss senior right-hander Barry Bowden and Norfolk State's senior right-hander Joey Seal 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.
Carroll had one of the more prolific offensive weeks in the history of the UK program, batting .667 (14-for-21) during the Wildcats' 6-0 week. The Henryetta, Okla., native has now homered in four consecutive games, a feat believed to have never been accomplished in the history of the program. He scored 10 runs during the week, boasting two doubles, one triple, four homers, 17 RBI, stealing two bases and drawing a team-high six walks. Carroll's four homers during the week eclipses his 2007 season total of three home runs in 54 games. He has three hits in four-consecutive games, with multi-RBI games coming in each as well.
Bowden gave Southern Miss its first win of the season over a nationally-ranked opponent, throwing a complete game, two-hit shutout at No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette on February 29. He tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Bowden retired the final 13 batters of the game and 26 of the last 27 for his fourth career complete game.
The 6-0, 170-pound Seal set a new Norfolk State single-game record by pitching 11 innings in Saturday's 1-0, 12-inning win over reigning Patriot League champion, Lafayette, at NSU's Marty L. Miller Field. Despite not factoring into the decision, Seal allowed just four hits, no runs, one walk (an intentional pass in the 10th inning) and struck out a career-high tying 11 batters. He set down 16 straight batters from the fourth through ninth innings.
Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Athletic supplies the official cap to more than 100 Division I college teams and official uniforms and team wear to six Division I college teams. This is the fourth 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 prolineathletic.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 Athletic Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.
2008 Pro-Line Athletic Players of the Week:
Feb. 26: Dustin Ackley, North Carolina (Hitter);
Lance Lynn, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
· March 4: Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky (Hitter); Barry
Bowden, Southern Miss and Joey Seal, Norfolk State (Pitcher)
· March 11: Aaron Murphree, Arkansas (Hitter); David
Coulon, Arizona (Pitcher)
· March 18: Tyler Kuhn, West Virginia (Hitter);
Ricky Bowen, Mississippi State (Pitcher)
· March 25: Mike McKenna, Florida Atlantic (Hitter);
Aaron Crow, Missouri (Pitcher)
· April 1: Alan Ahmady, Fresno State (Hitter); Brandon
McClurg, Lipsomb and Josh Romanski, San Diego (Pitcher)
· April 8: Ryan Pond, N.C. State (Hitter); Nick
Haughian, Washington (Pitcher)
· April 15: Jacob Priday, Missouri (Hitter); Stephen
Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
· April 22: Dexter Fontenot, Louisiana-Monroe (Hitter);
Christopher Manno, Duke (Pitcher)
· April 29: Ty Wright, Georgia Southern (Hitter);
Chris Hernandez, Miami (Pitcher)
· May 6: Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville State (Hitter);
Kenn Kasparek, Texas (Pitcher)
· May 13: David Anderson, Coastal Carolina (Hitter);
Andrew Liebel, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
· May 20: Jeremie Tice, College of Charleston (Hitter);
Scott Swinson, Maryland (Pitcher)
Related link:
Pro-Line Athletic Player of the Week plaques