DALLAS (NCBWA) Steve Nickel of the State University of New York-Cortland was money-in-the-bank at the plate and Matthew Greene of Castleton State College was red-hot on the mound as the pair earned NCAA Division III National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week honors for the seventh week of 2010, covering games of April 12-18, as voted on by a panel of D-III members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Nickel, a senior third baseman from Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., batted .700 (7-for-10) with three home runs, a double, two walks, 12 RBI, seven runs scored, and a 1.700 slugging percentage in a 3-0 week. To start the week, he homered, doubled, and walked before being pulled early in the game in a 26-6 win at Cazenovia. He went 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBI, and four runs scored in a 16-7 win at SUNY-New Paltz in the first game of a doubleheader, followed by a 2-for-3 effort with four RBI in the second game of the twinbill. Nickel, who leads the nationally 15th-ranked Red Dragons with eight homers and 37 RBI, was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
Greene, a junior right-hander from Albany, N.Y., was dominant in his only start of the week, earning a complete game shutout at Thomas (Maine), a 1-0 Spartan win in nine innings. He allowed just two hits and walked four while striking out 16 Terriers. He struck out at least one batter in every inning, except during a one-two-three third inning. He struck out the side in the fifth, and had two strikeouts in every other inning. He improved to 4-0 in the season, lowering his ERA to 1.74, and has 35 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 31 innings. Greene was named the North Atlantic Conference East Division Pitcher of the Week.
Honorable mention hitters: Scott Robinson (Rensselaer Tech) - .750 (9-12), 1 double, 3 home run, 13 RBI, 8 runs, 1.583 slugging pct.; Kevin Brashears (Shenandoah) - .516 (16-31), 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs, 1.194 slugging pct.; Shane Bennett (Mississippi College) - .857 (6-7), 2 home runs, 5 RBI, 2 runs, 1.714 slugging pct.; Alex Caghan (Rochester) - .545 (12-22), 3 triples, 1 home run, 16 RBI, 14 runs, .955 slugging pct.; Dave Hoffman (Augustana) - .519 (14-27), 5 doubles, 1 home run, 5 RBI, 9 runs, .815 slugging pct.; Andrew Anderson (Adrian) - .600 (9-15), 1 double, 2 triples, 10 RBI, 8 runs, .933 slugging pct.; Brandon Ricco (Birmingham-Southern) - .565 (13-23), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 16 RBI, 9 runs, 1.174 slugging pct.; Cody Young (Anderson) - .545 (12-22), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 11 runs, 1.182 slugging pct.
Honorable mention pitchers: Gary Levesque (Rhode Island College) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 18.0 ip, 1 cg, 17 hits, 19 strikeouts; Alec Lewis (Coe) - 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 14.0 ip, 2 cg, 9 hits, 19 strikeouts; Blake OBrien (Edgewood) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.0 ip, 1 cg, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts; Derek Eitel (Rose-Hulman) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 2 hits, 9 strikeouts; Trey Watt (Pacific Lutheran) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.0 ip, 1 cg, 5 hits, 7 strikeouts.
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.
2010 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
March 7: Joseph Villegas, Mary Hardin-Baylor
(Hitter); Ryan McDonough, Lynchburg (Pitcher)
· March 14: Justin Franklin, Ferrum and Jeff
Butera, Haverford (Hitter); James Murrey, Macalester (Pitcher)
· March 21: Michael Cassese, Rutgers-Newark
(Hitter); Paul Uhl, Thomas More and Billy Schmitt, Wartburg (Pitcher)
· March 28: Jeff Scafidi, Anna Maria (Hitter);
Tim Smith, Nichols (Pitcher)
· April 4: Jack Cinoman, Chicago (Hitter); Tim
Kriegel, Hardin-Simmons (Pitcher)
· April 11: Todd Keneborous, St. Joseph's (Hitter);
Steve Locke, College at Brockport (Pitcher)
· April 18: Steve Nickel, Cortland State (Hitter);
Matthew Greene, Castleton State (Pitcher)
· April 25: Jay Slick, Bethel (Hitter); Dave
Filak, SUNY-Oneonta (Pitcher)
· May 2: Chris Jarrett, Anderson (Hitter); Matt
Schuld, St. Thomas (Pitcher)
· May 9: Jay Slick, Bethel and Jacob Millen,
Moravian (Hitter); Matt Schuld, St. Thomas (Pitcher)