DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending April 26.
UCF junior second baseman Shane Brown and South Dakota State sophomore infielder Jesse Sawyer were named National Co-Hitters of the Week, while Northeastern sophomore left-handed pitcher J.T. Ross 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.
Brown tied the NCAA record by reaching base 18-straight times in a week in which he went 13-for-18 for a .722 batting average, 1.333 slugging percentage, .783 on-base percentage and a 2.116 OPS. That streak started when he had doubles in the seventh and eighth innings in UCFs 13-12 win over Stetson on April 21, a game in which the Knights erased a 10-0 deficit. In the Knights· 29-9 win over UAB April 24, the second baseman was 5-for-5 with two more doubles, a homer, three RBI and three runs. He also was hit by a pitch twice and walked once to get aboard all eight times. One day later, Brown went 2-for-2 and reached on two singles, a HBP, BB and fielder·s choice to build his streak to 15. In the series finale, a 12-6 UCF victory, he homered, doubled and singled in his first three at-bats to tie the NCAA mark held by Cal State Northridge·s Shaun Larkin in 2002. Even though he flew out in his fourth at-bat, Brown still went 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, falling a triple short of hitting for the cycle in the second time in three games.
Overall, the Winter Park, Fla., native scored 10 runs and had five doubles and two homers in the four-game week, striking out just once. In the UAB series lone, Brown got on base 17 of 18 times, going 11-for-13 with a .846 average against the Blazers, while posting a 1.538 slugging, .889 on-base, and 2.427 OPS.
Sawyer earned co-Hitter honors after leading SDSU to seven wins, including a four-game sweep of conference rival Western Illinois. He homered in six of the eight games and hit safely in all eight. For the week, the Calgary, Alberta native had a .500 average, scored 19 runs, had 15 RBI, 14 hits, nine home runs and two doubles. He also walked seven times, had a 1.536 slugging percentage and .641 on-base percentage.
Ross, a Newton, Mass., native threw a complete-game one-hitter as Northeastern rolled past Rhode Island 12-1 on April 20. The sophomore lefty struck out 12 and didnt issue a walk while improving to 3-1. He gave up the lone hit in the second and then retired the final 23 straight batters.
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 fifth 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.
2009 Pro-Line Athletic Players of the Week:
Feb. 24: Chris Kersten, Louisiana Tech (Hitter);
Schaeffer Hall, Kansas (Pitcher)
· March 3: Kent Matthes, Alabama (Hitter); Ryan
Berry, Rice and Brandon Workman, Texas (Pitcher)
· March 10: Daniel Hill, Murray State (Hitter);
Wade Kapteyn, Evansille (Pitcher)
· March 17: Digger Towe, UAB (Hitter); Kyle Gibson,
Missouri (Pitcher)
· March 24: Kyle Roller, East Carolina (Hitter);
Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
· March 31: Rich Poythress, Georgia (Hitter); Cody
Wheeler, Coastal Carolina (Pitcher)
· April 7: Brett Nommensen, Eastern Illinois (Hitter);
Nolan Moody, Michigan State (Pitcher)
· April 14: Juan Martinez, Oral Roberts (Hitter);
Brad Stillings, Kent State (Pitcher)
· April 21: Derek McCallum, Minnesota (Hitter);
Alex White, North Carolina (Pitcher)
· April 28: Shane Brown, UCF and Jesse Sawyer, South
Dakota State (Hitter); J.T. Ross, Northeastern (Pitcher)
· May 5: Justin Bour, George Mason (Hitter); Alex
Wimmers, Ohio State (Pitcher)
· May 12: Greg Folgia, Missouri (Hitter); Stephen
Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
· May 19: Chris Hermann, Miami (Hitter); Justin
Marks, Louisville (Pitcher)