DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
(NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week awards
for the period ending April 26. BYU junior third baseman Brandon Taylor
was named National Hitter of the Week, while East Carolina's sophomore RHP
Ricky Brooks 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.
Taylor
hit for the cycle, another grand slam and tied a school record with six
hits in the last game against Utah. The Orem, Utah, native's cycle came
in his first four plate appearances. He hit his grand slam in the first,
a single in the third, a double in the fifth and a triple in the sixth.
Taylor ended up tying a school record for hits in the game with six. He
ended up going 6-for-6 with a walk and six RBI in the 19-6 victory over
Utah. He hit a first-pitch, opposite-field grand slam. It was Taylor's fourth
slam of the season and third in eight days. The home run was his 14th on
the year, tying his personal season best from last year.
Taylor said he ran through a stop sign on his way to third for his triple.
He hit his third grand slam of the season in game one against Utah on Thursday.
In that game, which the Cougars won 10-8, BYU plated nine in the second
frame on 10 hits, highlighted by Taylor's grand slam. It was the second
slam for Taylor in a week, as he hit one against San Diego State last Friday
(April 15). His slugging percentage for the week was 1.118 and he improved
his batting average from .340 to .364, while driving in 12 total runs.
Brooks threw the first nine-inning no-hitter in Conference USA history
against Memphis on Sunday, coming within a wild pitch on a strikeout of
tossing a perfect game. The North Tonowanda, N.Y., native struck out 14
of the 28 batters that he faced, allowing no walks in posting his third
complete game in six C-USA starts.
Earlier in the week, Brooks pitched 3.1 innings of relief against N.C.
State, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two.
With this week's honor, Brooks automatically is named to the watch list
for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the
year, sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.
The Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Cap Co. supplies the official cap to more
than 100 Division I college teams. This is the first season Pro-Line has
sponsored the NCBWA's Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for
plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional
consideration. For more information about Pro-Line, visit their website
at www.prolinecap.com.
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 website, www.ncbwa.com.
2005 Pro-Line Cap Players of the Week:
• Feb. 8: Grant Rembert, Elon (Hitter); Erik Averill, Arizona State (Pitcher)
• Feb. 15: Scott Bridges, Arkansas (Hitter); Brian Bogusevic, Tulane (Pitcher)
• Feb. 22: Drew Stubbs, Texas (Hitter); Taylor Fowler, Arkansas State (Pitcher)
• March 1: Kurt Eichorn, Kent State (Hitter); Tyler Chambliss, Florida State (Pitcher)
• March 8: Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech (Hitter); J.C. Biagi, Centenary (Pitcher)
• March 15: Jeremy Slayden, Georgia Tech (Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU and Gib Hobson, N.C. State (Pitcher)
• March 22: Alex Gordon, Nebraska (Hitter); Luke Hochevar, Tennessee (Pitcher)
• March 29: Josh Rodriguez, Rice (Hitter); Brent Gaphardt, Delaware (Pitcher)
• April 5: Mike Baxter, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Max Scherzer, Missouri (Pitcher)
• April 12: Dusty Bensko, Illinois (Hitter); J. Brent Cox, Texas (Pitcher)
• April 19: Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Adrian Alaniz, Texas (Pitcher)
• April 26: Brandon Taylor, BYU (Hitter); Ricky Brooks, East Carolina (Pitcher)
• May 3: Doug Beck, Utah (Hitter); Matt Maloney, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
• May 10: J.R. Kyes, Illinois (Hitter); Brad Lincoln, Houston (Pitcher)
• May 17: Justin Beam, Pacific (Hitter); Jeff Denlea, Hofstra (Pitcher)
• May 24: Craig Cooper, Notre Dame and Adam Tucker, Birmingham-Southern
(Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU (Pitcher)
Related links:
• Pro-Line Cap to sponsor NCBWA Players of the Week
• Pro-Line Cap Player of the Week plaques