DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending April 15. Miami University senior first baseman Ross Haffey was named National Hitter of the Week, while Harvard senior right-handed pitcher Noah Zavolas 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.
Haffey put on a show this weekend as Miami collected another series win, this time at Ball State. In three games against the Cardinals, the Birmingham, Mich., native went 8-for-13 with six home runs, 13 runs batted in and nine runs scored. He also recorded a double and drew two walks.
In Friday's doubleheader, Haffey was 7-for-9 with five home runs, 12 runs batted in and eight runs scored. He opened the scoring in Sunday's finale with a solo shot, his sixth and final homer of the weekend. Including Miami's two midweek wins against Xavier and Cincinnati that gave them the Joe Nuxhall Classic Championship, Haffey hit .550 for the week with 12 runs scored, 14 runs batted in, one double, one triple and six homers. That stat line also handed him a 1.600 slugging percentage over the five-game span.
Zavolas tossed a complete-game, no-hitter to propel Harvard to a 4-0 victory at league-leading Yale Friday. The Acton, Mass., native held the Bulldogs hitless and was one out away from a perfect game, before surrendering a walk with two men down in the bottom of the ninth inning. The senior bounced back to strike out the final batter setting a new career high with 12 strikeouts · and earn his fourth win on the season. The no-hitter was Harvard's first since Ben Crockett on April 29, 2001, and the 19th in NCAA Division I baseball this season.
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)