DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the period ending April 4th. Cal Poly Pomona junior catcher Jenzen Torres is the National Hitter of the Week while Slippery Rock sophomore left-hander Joby Lapkowicz is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Jenzen Torres (Valencia, Calif.) led the Broncos' offense during a series win over Cal State East Bay. In four games, he batted .462 (6-for-13) with five runs scored, four home runs and 13 runs batted in while registering a 1.365 slugging percentage and getting on base at a .588 clip. He accounted for 18 of CPP's 42 runs scored in the series, hit safely and scored at least one run in three of the four games. In the series opener, a 19-3 win for the Broncos, Torres went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a pair of home runs and career-high six RBIs. That total of 19 scores was the highest amount in program history since 2002.
Joby Lapkowicz (Carmichaels, Pa.) was named as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division's Pitcher of the Week· after he pitched a seven-inning, complete-game, no-hit shutout in last Sunday's second game. Lapkowicz struck out a career-high nine batters in the game. Lapkowicz's no-hitter was the first by a Rock pitcher since Mike Sikorski handcuffed Kutztown University in an opening-round game of the 2003 NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional tournament at Critchfield Park. With his seven-inning shutout last Sunday, Lapkowicz has now held opponents scoreless for 17 consecutive innings, a string that extends back three-plus games to his final inning March 10 vs. Ashland (Ohio) University at historic Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla. Lapkowicz currently owns a 3-2 record and 2.91 earned run average this spring.
Division II Regional Players of the Week:
Atlantic: Matt Howard, Slippery Rock (Hitter); Joby Lapkowicz, Slippery Rock (Pitcher)
· Central: Jordan Smith, St. Cloud State (Hitter); Matt Treybig, Upper Iowa (Pitcher)
· East: Michael Zeiner, Stonehill (Hitter); Robert Nixon, Adelphi (Pitcher)
· South: Dean Green, Barry (Hitter); Andrew Virgili, Lynn (Pitcher)
· South Central: Will Miller, West Texas A&M (Hitter); Ryan Trimble, Truman State (Pitcher)
· West: Jenzen Torres, Cal Poly Pomona (Hitter); Vinny Pacchetti, Cal. St.-Stanislaus (Pitcher)
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.
2011 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
Feb. 20: Tyler Migl, St. Mary's, Texas (Hitter);
Trey Mitchell, North Alabama (Pitcher)
· Feb. 27: Wayne Hawkins, Arkansas-Monticello
(Hitter); Dave Middendorf, Northern Kentucky (Pitcher)
· March 6: Drew Dwelly, Barry (Hitter); Gabriel
Asakura, Cal State-Los Angeles (Pitcher)
· March 13: Kaleb Cunningham, Indianapolis (Hitter);
Manny Rodriguez, Barry (Pitcher)
· March 20: Brandon Gipson, Benedict (Hitter);
Mike Fuller, Colorado-Mines (Pitcher)
· March 27: Chase Larsson, Cameron (Hitter);
Ryan Griffin, Alabama-Huntsville (Pitcher)
· April 4: Jenzen Torres, Cal Poly Pomona (Hitter);
Joby Lapkowicz, Slippery Rock (Pitcher)
· April 11: Chase Larsson, Cameron (Hitter);
Ben Hawkins, West Florida (Pitcher)
· April 18: Dillon Hazlett, Emporia State (Hitter);
Vinny DePierro, UMass Lowell (Pitcher)
· April 25: Daniel Dillard, Western Oregon (Hitter);
Zach Jeney, Slippery Rock (Pitcher)
· May 2: Josh Vining, Valdosta State (Hitter);
Scott Lieser, St. Cloud State (Pitcher)
· May 9: Clay Mohr, New Mexico Highlands (Hitter);
Grady Wood, Western Oregon (Pitcher)