DALLAS (NCBWA) A sizzling week by outfielder Kyle Cook of Centre College and a perfect game by Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads of the College of Wooster have earned them the NCAA Division III National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week respectively for the week of April 9-15 as voted on by a panel of D-III members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Cook, a sophomore from Maineville, Ohio, batted .692 (9-13), scored nine runs and drove in 10 as Centre went 2-2. He also walked four times, was hit by a pitch, stole four bases, and hit his first three career home runs. In Wednesdays non-conference game against Thomas More, he went 1-4 with two runs driven in and stole a base. He then had a monster weekend against Sewanee in which he hit .889 (8-9) and reached base safely in 13 of his 14 plate appearances. He went 3-3 with two home runs, three runs scored, five RBI and a walk in game one. Game two saw him go 2-3 with two runs scored, one RBI, two walks, a hit by pitch and three stolen bases. He finished the week going 3-3 with four runs scored and two RBI, including a home run and a walk. He had a .778 on-base percentage and a 1.385 slugging percentage for the week, and raised his season average 80 points to .343. Cook was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
Rhoads, a senior from Kalamazoo, Mich., tossed the second perfect game in school history (the other was in 1989) and the 12th no-hitter as he set down all 21 Hiram batters he faced Sunday afternoon in a 16-0 win. The right-hander cruised through the Hiram lineup, as a ball did not reach the outfield until the fourth inning, and he struck out four, the third-highest total of his career. Improving to 4-2 on the season, he was perfect despite throwing to three different catchers, as Wooster provided him plenty of offensive support early and then substituted liberally. In his first year as a front-line starter for the Fighting Scots, it marked his first complete game. Cunningham-Rhoads was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Honorable mention hitters: Dave Zubia (Moravian) - .619 (13-21), 4 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 6 RBIs, 10 runs, 1.333 slugging pct.; Thomas Daly (Baruch) - .533 (16-30) - 4 doubles, 13 RBIs, 14 runs, 5 stolen bases, .667 slugging pct.; Billy Miller (Babson) - .542 (13-24), 1 double, 3 home runs, 11 RBIs, 11 runs, .958 slugging pct.; Zach Carlino (Mount Union) - .600 (9-15), 1 double, 6 RBIs, 7 runs, .667 slugging pct.; Brandon Chase (St. Josephs ME) - .611 (8-15), 1 double, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 6 runs, 3 stolen bases, 1.267 slugging pct.; Jimmy Dercks (Rockford) - .586 (17-29), 8 doubles, 1 home run, 13 RBIs, .966 slugging pct.; Dante Cassano (Gwynedd-Mercy) - .600 (9-15), 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 11 RBIs, 7 runs, 1.200 slugging pct.; Conor Bierfeldt (Western Connecticut State) - .615 (8-13), 1 double, 4 home runs, 5 RBIs, 7 runs, 1.615 slugging pct.; Adam Carl (Augsburg) - .692 (9-13), 3 doubles, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, .923 slugging pct.; Matt Joiner (Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham) - .625 (10-16), 2 doubles, 7 RBIs, 5 runs, .750 slugging pct.; Lee Rozins (Ramapo) - .750 (9-12), 3 doubles, 7 RBIs, 1.000 slugging pct.
Honorable mention pitchers: Dylan Thomas (St. Thomas MN) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hit, 11 strikeouts; Cam Seidl (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16.0 ip, 3 hits, 13 strikeouts; Chris Phelan (Farmingdale State) - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14.0 ip, 1 cg, 5 hits, 16 strikeouts; Phil Haywood (Hope) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hit, 11 strikeouts; Torre Swanson (MIT) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hits, 6 strikeouts; Tyler Pilcher (Greenville) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 11 strikeouts; Brandon Holsworth (Gallaudet) - 2-0, 1.93 ERA, 9.1 ip, 1 cg, 7 strikeouts.
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2012 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
March 4: Andy King, Hamline (Hitter); Mitch
Hunnicutt, Hanover (Pitcher)
· March
11: Zach Hofer, Elmhurst (Hitter); Blaine O'Brien, Keystone (Pitcher)
· March 18: Gregg Steinman, Moravian (Hitter);
Steve Maher, St. Thomas (Pitcher)
· March
25: Bruce Maxwell, Birmingham-Southern (Hitter); Brian Ranta, George Fox (Pitcher)
· April 1: Dan Fiorito, Manhattanville (Hitter);
Jarrett Gish, Case Western Reserve (Pitcher)
·
April 8: Matt Thompson, McMurry (Hitter); Jhonneris
Mendez, Suffolk (Pitcher)
· April 15:
Kyle Cook, Centre (Hitter); Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads, Wooster (Pitcher)
·
April 22: Edwin Moser, DeSales (Hitter); Tyler
Erickson, Castleton State (Pitcher)
·
April 29: Tim Saunders, Marietta (Hitter); Kyle Szatrowski, UMass-Boston (Pitcher)
· May 6: Brett Van Asdlen, Aurora (Hitter);
Bill Oppriecht, Wisconsin-Plattevile (Pitcher)