NCBWA NAMES DIVISION IIINATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (NCBWA) St. Joseph's College of New York's Joe Mendez made program history in a day, while Transylvania University's Braden Johnson did something that hadn't been done in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in nearly a decade en route to gaining the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association weekly awards for the span of March 24-30.


Mendez, a senior outfielder from Staten Island, N.Y., had a career day in St. Joseph's sweep of Maritime March 29. He went 4-for-5 (.800) and smashed four home runs on the day, including a school-record-tying three in game one of the twinbill. The Association of Division III Independents Player of the Week finished game one of the doubleheader against the Privateers 3-for-3 with three home runs and career-high eight RBI, with four of them coming on the slugger's first career grand slam and the program's first since 2010. Over the course of the doubleheader the outfielder hit for the home run cycle and became the all-time career home run leader in school history with 14 dingers. The senior also finished with an impressive 11 RBIs and five runs scored. Mendez concluded the week with a staggering .750 on base percentage and 3.200 slugging percentage.


Johnson, a freshman right hander from Crestwood, Ky., tossed a nine-inning no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Defiance March 30. The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's Pitcher of the Week faced 28 batters and recorded five strikeouts in the victory. The effort was the first no-hitter in the modern era of Transylvania baseball and was the first in the HCAC since 2005.


Honorable Mention Hitters: Jeff Schweighoffer, Oberlin - Batted .773 over the final six games of spring break (Mon-Wed) with 17 hits in 22 at-bats, including three doubles and a triple ... also had 11 RBIs, two sac flies, eight runs scored and 22 total bases; Michael Paul, Shenandoah - Hit .556 in three Hornets' wins, going 10-for-18 from the dish with two doubles, three homers and 15 runs batted in. Also scored seven times and racked up a 1.167 slugging percentage.


Honorable Mention Pitchers: Jake Fishman, Union (N.Y.) - Threw a no-hitter in his second collegiate start March 29. Threw all seven innings in game one of the scheduled doubleheader, striking out seven batters while allowing only two walks; Jackson Meland, Concordia (Minn.) - Complete-game decision to help Cobber head coach Bucky Burgau earn his milestone 700th career victory, tossing a one-hitter in a 2-1 nonconference win over Dickinson State. Allowed just the one hit and one unearned run and didn't walk a single batter while recording six strikeouts. After the first-inning single, he retired 16 in a row, and set down 20 of the final 21 hitters he faced.


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