DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its initial 2018 NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on March 5. LeMoyne College junior utility Andrew Taft is the National Hitter of the Week, while Pace University junior pitcher Dan Wirchansky is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Taft (Clinton, N.Y.), slashed .529/.619/1.471 in Le Moynes 2-2 weekend series with Shippensburg, while blasting five home runs, driving in 12 runs and scoring eight times. He opened the weekend by going 2-3 with a home run and three runs scored and two RBI in an 11-1 win. He launched another home run and had two more RBI in an 8-7 win in the nightcap on Saturday. Taft went 2-4 with a home run and three RBI in a 4-3 setback in Sunday·s opener and closed out the weekend by going 4-5 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored in a 12-11 setback.
Wirchansky (Stony Point, N.Y.) was the first unanimous selection this season as he opened the 2018 Pace season in storybook fashion on Sunday firing a nine-inning perfect game against Dominican (N.Y.) College. The lefty not only retired all 27 batters he faced but was dominant in doing so. At one point, he fanned seven straight Chargers en route to finishing the day with a career-high 16 strikeouts. He struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings when his team was clinging to a 2-0 lead before blowing the game open with five runs in the seventh on the way to an 8-0 win.
Division II Regional Players of the Week:
Atlantic: Jared Melone, West Chester (Hitter); Russell Lamovec, Mercyhurst (Pitcher)
· Central: Bryce Fischer, Emporia State (Hitter); Zach Fowler, Oklahoma Baptist (Pitcher)
· East: Andrew Taft, LeMoyne (Hitter); Dan Wirchansky, Pace (Pitcher)
· Midwest: Chuck Hooker, Alderson-Broaddus (Hitter); Ryan Shultz, Trevecca Nazarene (Pitcher)
· South: Kyle Hubbuch, North Alabama (Hitter); Garrett Leonard, Rollins College (Pitcher)
· South Central: Luis Amaro, West Texas A&M (Hitter); Spencer Bivens, Rogers State (Pitcher)
· Southeast: Collin Allman, Newberry College (Hitter); Kolton Ingram, Columbus State (Pitcher)
· West: Austin Russ, Azusa Pacific (Hitter); Preston Mott, UC-San Diego (Pitcher)
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication and writing contests.
2018 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
Week ending Feb. 19: Austin Norman, Fairmont State (Hitter); Dillon Cate, Carson-Newman (Pitcher)
· Week ending Feb. 26: Chance Bowden, Catawba (Hitter); Jumpei Akanuma, Lee University (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 5: Andrew Taft, LeMoyne (Hitter); Dan Wirchansky, Pace (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 12: Francisco Rodriguez, Tarleton State (Hitter); Kyle Leahy, Colorado Mesa (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 19: Zack Shannon, Delta State (Hitter); Josh Gaworski, Concordia-St. Paul (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 26: Nick Atkinson, Shepherd (Hitter); Adam Riggleman, Glenville State (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 2: Matt Honeycutt, Mars Hill (Hitter); Dalton Morrow, Southwest Baptist (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 9: Mikey Gangwish, Colorado School of Mines (Hitter); Kyle Flessner, Purdue Northwest (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 16: Ted DeSanti, Indiana, Pa. (Hitter); Ryan Murphy, LeMoyne (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 23: Griffin Baker, Belmont Abbey (Hitter); Clay Casey, Delta State (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 30: Mondesi Gutierrez, Northwest Missouri State (Hitter); Grant Wolfram, Davenport (Pitcher)