DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 11. Western Kentucky junior outfielder Jacob Rhinesmith was named National Hitter of the Week, while Auburn junior right-handed pitcher Casey Mize 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.
Rhinesmith hit .550 (11-for-200 with a 1.250 slugging percentage in four games, leading the Hilltoppers to a perfect 4-0 week). The Shakopee, Minn., native hit four home runs and two doubles, scored 10 times and drove in eight runs. He had at least three hits, two runs and two RBI in three of the four games, including a career-high four hits and four runs scored in the series finale vs. Bowling Green.
All four of his hits in game two of WKUs doubleheader Saturday were extra-base hits (two home runs and two doubles) for 12 total bases, tying the most by a Hilltopper since game-by-game records began in 2005, but was the first to do so since 2010. In a 15-7 win at Belmont and a 17-5 win vs. Bowling Green, WKU scored 15-plus runs in consecutive games for the first time since March 19-20, 2010, a span of 440 games in-between. A three-game sweep of Bowling Green over the weekend was the Hilltoppers· first of a non-conference opponent since 2015.
The Springville, Ala., native dazzled in a 6-0 win against the Huskies en route to securing the Tigers first no-hitter since nine pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter against UAB on Mar. 19, 2002 and the first complete-game no-hitter since Eric Brandon did so against Murray State 17 days earlier. It was the Tigers' ninth no-hitter in program history.
Mize struck out a career-high 13 batters and faced one over the minimum with the lone Huskie reaching on a fielding miscue in the top of the fourth inning. His strikeout total was the highest by an Auburn pitcher since Jon Luke Jacobs also struck out 13 against Alabama State on Feb. 28, 2012.
Mize came out of the gates dealing as he struck out the side in his first inning of work and retired the first 10 batters he faced six via the strikeout.
The right-hander trotted out to start the ninth inning with 88 pitches on the night. Set to face Northeastern's eight, nine and one hitters, Mize induced a trio of groundouts to end the game in no-hit fashion while only throwing 105 pitches, 77 of which were strikes.
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, ncbwa.com.
For more information on the NCBWA Division I National Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.
2018 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
Feb. 20: Jake Brodt, Santa Clara (Hitter); Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss (Pitcher)
· Feb. 27: Brett Kinneman, N.C. State (Hitter); Joe DeMers, Washington (Pitcher)
· March 6: Luke Heyer, Kentucky (Hitter); Payton Kinney, Omaha (Pitcher)
· March 13: Jacob Rhinesmith, Western Kentucky (Hitter); Casey Mize, Auburn (Pitcher)
· March 20: Joe Genord, USF (Hitter); Griffin Roberts, Wake Forest (Pitcher)
· March 27: Bren Spillane, Illinois (Hitter); Jake Lee, Oakland (Pitcher)
· April 3: Jon Littell, Oklahoma State (Hitter); Colton Eastman, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher)
· April 10: Connor Pauly, Morehead State (Hitter); Scotty Sunitsch, Washington State (Pitcher)
· April 17: Ross Haffey, Miami, Ohio (Hitter); Noah Zavolas, Harvard (Pitcher)
· April 24: Josh Jung, Texas Tech and Steven Wells, Florida State (Hitter); Connor Van Hoose, Bucknell (Pitcher)
· May 1: Alex Holderbach, Eastern Kentucky (Hitter); Barrett Loseke, Arkansas (Pitcher)
· May 8: Adam Sasser, Georgia (Hitter); Haylen Green, TCU (Pitcher)
· May 15: Will Wilson, N.C. State (Hitter); Luke Heimlich, Oregon State (Pitcher)
· May 22: Will Holland, Auburn (Hitter); Sam Shutes, Toledo (Pitcher)
2018 NCBWA Division I Players of the Month:
February: Brett Kinneman, N.C. State (Player); Brady Feigl, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
· March: Seth Beer, Clemson (Player); Casey Mize, Auburn (Pitcher)
· April: Alex Holderbach, Eastern Kentucky (Player); Connor Thomas, Georgia Tech (Pitcher)
· May: Cal Raleigh, Florida State (Player); Logan Gilbert, Stetson (Pitcher)