CHICAGO (NCBWA) Eastern Connecticut State University senior
outfielder Dwight Wildman (Seymour, Conn.) has been named National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Player of the Year,
while his teammate, sophomore Ryan DiPietro (Berlin, Conn.) shared
the organization's Division III Pitcher of the Year award with George Fox
University's junior Scott Hyde (Grants Pass, Ore.).
Wildman, who was also named American Baseball Coaches Association first-team
All-American, Little East Conference "Player of the Year," and NCAA Division
III New England Regional all-tournament MVP, batted .425 with 61 runs scored,
20 doubles, 16 home runs, 71 RBI, 26-31 stolen bases.
DiPietro was named ABCA first-team All-American, Little East Conference
Pitcher of the Year and was named to the NCAA Division III New England Regional
all-tournament team with a 9-0 record, an NCAA Division III-leading 0.83
earned run average, three shutouts and 151 strikeouts in 97.1 innings pitched.
Hyde was an ABCA first-team All-American, the NCAA Division III Baseball
Championship's "Most Outstanding Player," named to the NCAA Division III
West Region all-tournament team and named Northwest Conference Player of
the Year with a 14-1 record (most wins in NCAA Division III), seven complete
games, two shutouts, a 1.99 earned run average and 191 strikeouts (also
tops in NCAA Division III) in 122.0 innings pitched.
Hyde, who was named NCBWA Division III "Pitcher of the Week" on April
3 after throwing a no-hitter versus Pacific, went 3-0 at the NCAA Division
III Baseball Championship with 30 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched and defeated
Eastern Connecticut, 6-3, in the championship game.
The voting was conducted by the eight NCBWA NCAA Division III regional
coordinators. Eight regional players and eight regional pitchers, as selected
by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) membership,
advanced to the national ballot.
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-American awards, publication and writing contests.