DALLAS (NCBWA) Brandon O'Connell of the University of Wisconsin-Stout raised his batting average over 100 points and Sean White of Dickinson College struck out an incredible 21 batters in one game, earning them the seventh NCAA Division III National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week honors respectively for the week of April 11-17, 2011, as voted on by a panel of D-III members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
O'Connell, a senior third baseman from Elk Mound, Wis., led the Blue Devils to a 3-1 week by batting .813 (13-16) to raise his average from .302 to .405. He scored seven runs, had five doubles, one home run, 12 RBI, a slugging percentage of 1.313, and an on base percentage of .842. Against Viterbo, he went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and hit a two-run home run in a nine-run fifth inning for Stout's final runs in a 12-8 comeback win. In the second game, he went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI, hitting a game-winning, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to cap a seven-run rally for a 14-13 win. In a split against No. 14-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater, he went 8-for-10 on the day with four doubles and eight RBI. He had three doubles in the second game, going 4-for-5 with six RBI. O'Connell was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
White, a junior southpaw from Summit, N.J., turned in one of the single greatest pitching performances in school, conference, and NCAA Division III history, recording a school-record 21 strikeouts in a nine-inning complete-game effort on Friday. He scattered four hits in a 19-0 shutout against McDaniel College, breaking the school strikeouts record of 20 that was set in 1913 and tied again in 1919. He is unofficially just the sixth player in D-III history to record at least 21 strikeouts in a game. White was named the Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Honorable Mention Hitters: John Holm (Wabash) - .688 (11-16), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 9 runs, 1.750 slugging pct.; John Apostolo (Mitchell) - .769 (10-13), 1 double, 1 triple, 1 home run, 9 RBI, 5 runs, 1.231 slugging pct.; Kevin Callahan (Illinois Wesleyan) - .529 (9-17), 1 double, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, 7 runs, 1.294 slugging pct.; Tim Wilson (Linfield) - .571 (8-14), 4 home runs, 12 RBI, 1.429 slugging pct.; Brandon Peterson (St. Scholastica) - .538 (7-13), 1 double, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, 6 runs, 1.308 slugging pct.; Michael Tucker (Anderson) - .556 (10-18), 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs, 1.333 slugging pct.; Rob McPike (DePauw) - .733 (11-15), 3 doubles, 2 triples 6 RBI, 6 runs, 1.200 slugging pct.; Travis Wramble (Alvernia) - .714 (10-14), 1 double, 1 home run, 10 RBI, 5 runs, 1.000 slugging pct.; Charles Bruchu (St. Thomas MN) - .563 (9-16), 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 runs, .688 slugging pct.
Honorable Mention Pitchers: Travis Zilg (Ramapo) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hit, 5 strikeouts; Brett Bugielski (Hamline) - 1-0, 3 saves, 0.00 ERA, 7.1 ip, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts; Hobs Donovan (DePauw) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 7 strikeouts; Phillip Bertocci (Clark) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts; Luke Ball (Principia) - 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 4 hits, 11 strikeouts; Spencer Smithyle Davis (McMurry) - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14.2 ip, 1 cg, 7 hits, 11 strikeouts; Danny Niehaus (Transylvania) - 0-0, 3 saves, 3.0 ip, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts; Dustin LeFave (SUNY-Oswego) - 1-0, 0.00, 9.0, 1 cg, 5 hits, 8 strikeouts.
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2011 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
March 6: Kevin Brashears, Shenandoah
(Hitter); Matt McAllister of Penn State-Abington (Pitcher)
· March 13: Michael Pascarella, Pittsburgh-Bradford
(Hitter); Lee Schurlknight, Sewanee (Pitcher)
· March 20: Jonathan Mason, Bridgewater
(Hitter); Josh Scott, Baldwin-Wallace (Pitcher)
· March 27: Dan Haugh, Wheaton (Hitter);
Mike McManus, Mt. St. Vincent's (Pitcher)
· April 3: Trent Svehla, Simpson (Hitter);
Mark DiTomasso, Western New England (Pitcher)
· April 10: Ryan Darner, Thomas More
(Hitter); Travis Ratliff, SUNY-Cortland (Pitcher)
· April 17: Brandon O'Connell, Wisconsin-Stout
(Hitter); Sean White, Dickinson (Pitcher)
· April 24: John Snyder, Marietta (Hitter);
Mike Russo, Kean (Pitcher)
· May 1: Matt Bittner, Penn State-Behrend
(Hitter); Max Henry, Saint Vincent (Pitcher)
· May 8: Mike Nodzenski, Grinnell (Hitter);
Joe Sweeney, Illinois Wesleyan (Pitcher)