DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announces its Hitter, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Week awardees for April 12-18.
Hitter of the Week: Senior infielder Josh Sears of Freed-Hardeman represented the dish diamonds for the weekly awards. He had a week to remember for the Lions, which helped FHU go over the .500 mark. Sears turned in a combined 10-for-15 effort in a series vs. Cumberland and the lone contest against Lindsey Wilson with five home runs and 14 RBI. His home run in game two against Cumberland was a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning that gave the Lions the lead and would end up being the game-winner.
Pitcher of the Week: Aquinas College junior Travis Keys was spot on in a Saints win over Lawrence Tech University. The southpaw tossed a three-hit shutout with 16 K's in the April 13 contest, setting a new school record for strikeouts in a game and finishing one short of tying the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference record of 17. He added three more opponent whiffs in a relief appearance four days later.
Rookie of the Week: The Sand Sharks Blaize Minick registered a collegiate career K high in an April 17 victory over Ave Maria. He struck out 10 Gyrenes in the complete-game outing. Minick proved highly efficient, too, as five innings he worked on were three-up, three-down variety.
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.
2021 NAIA Players of the Week:
Week ending Feb. 7: Daniel Myers, Benedictine (Hitter); Chris Koeiman, Tennessee Wesleyan (Pitcher); Trevor Ball, Presentation (Rookie)
· Week ending Feb. 14: Gary Mattis, Tennessee Wesleyan (Hitter); Benjamin Harris, Brewton-Parker (Pitcher/Rookie)
· Week ending Feb. 28: Pedro Nazario, Cumberlands (Hitter); Robert Gonzalez, Tennessee Wesleyan (Pitcher); Carson Ford, Texas Wesleyan (Rookie)
· Week ending March 7: Jayden Adams, Concordia, Neb. (Hitter); Eli Jackson, Blue Mountain (Pitcher); Thaniel Thumper, Doane (Rookie)
· Week ending March 14: Justin Brooks, Middle Georgia State (Hitter); Dan Monear, Rochester (Hitter); Joe Osborn, Doane (Rookie)
· Week ending March 21: Zachary Presnall, Mobile (Hitter); Antonio Frias, Faulkner (Pitcher); Stephen Still, Loyola (Rookie)
· Week ending March 28: Shane Stewart, Central Baptist (Hitter); Chris Wall, Columbia College (Pitcher); Evan Juniper, Kentucky Christian (Rookie)
· Week ending April 4: Justice Lucas, Faulkner (Hitter); Garrett Martin, Middle Georgia State (Pitcher); Tucker Musgrove, Mobile (Rookie)
· Week ending April 11: Aaron Saal, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Hitter); Travis Keys, Aquinas College (Pitcher); Hayden Sullivan, Ava Maria (Rookie)
· Week ending April 18: Josh Sears, Freed-Hardeman (Hitter); Jared Davis, Texas A&M-Texarkana (Pitcher); Blaize Minick, South Carolina-Beaufort (Rookie)
· Week ending April 25: Adrian Reed, Madonna (Hitter); Benjamin Harris, Brewton-Parker (Pitcher/Rookie)