DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 30. East Tennessee State senior first baseman Clint Freeman was named National Hitter of the Week, while Cal Poly junior left-handed pitcher Matt Imhof 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.
Freeman helped guide the ETSU baseball team to its second straight Atlantic Sun Conference series win as the Buccaneer two-way player hit .800 (8-10) with two doubles, two walks, four home runs, six runs, and nine RBI. He also had a slugging percentage of 2.200 and on-base percentage of .769.
Freeman registered two home runs in back-to-back games (Saturday and Sunday), marking the fourth time in his career he has homered twice in one game. On Saturday, the Jonesborough, Tenn., native gave the Bucs a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the first inning, while it was his two-run blast in the eighth that proved to be the game-winning hit. On Sunday, Freeman tied a career high with a four-hit effort as he went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, drove in four runs and scored four times. He hit a solo homer in the eighth and his two-run shot pulled ETSU within two runs of NKU in the ninth.
Imhof struck out 13 UC Davis batters in his second career complete game, the fourth time this season he has reached double figures in strikeouts, did not allow a walk and scattered four hits in a shutout victory against the same team in which he produced his first career complete game. The Fremont, Calif., native established a career high for strikeouts, 15, against Seattle three weeks ago and twice has struck out 14 batters in a game this season. Imhof retired the first nine UC Davis batters in the game and allowed just one runner to reach third base. He retired the side in order seven times.
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 Web site, www.ncbwa.com.
For more information on the NCBWA Division I National Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.
2014 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
Feb. 16: Skyler Ewing, Rice (Hitter); Jeremy Null, East Carolina (Pitcher)
· Feb. 23: A.J. Reed, Kentucky (Hitter); Reed Garrett, VMI (Pitcher)
· March 2: Ryan Seiz, Liberty (Hitter); Jake Stinnett, Maryland (Pitcher)
· March 9: Mac James, Oklahoma (Hitter); Javi Salas, Miami (Pitcher)
· March 16: Nic Wilson, Georgia State (Hitter); Heath Dwyer, VCU (Pitcher)
· March 23: Michael Katz, William & Mary (Hitter); Frankie Vanderka, Stony Brook (Pitcher)
· March 30: Clint Freeman, East Tennessee State (Hitter); Matt Imhof, Cal Poly (Pitcher)
· April 6: A.J. Reed, Kentucky (Hitter); Nathan Kirby, Virginia (Pitcher)
· April 13: Mitchell Tolman, Oregon (Hitter); Jordan Carter, St. Joseph's (Pitcher)
· April 20: Byron Campbell, UMES (Hitter); Jeff Hoffman, East Carolina (Pitcher)
· April 27: Auston Bausfield, Ole Miss (Hitter); Thomas Eshelman, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher)
· May 4: Casey Turgeon, Florida (Hitter); Jace Fry, Oregon State (Pitcher)
· May 11: Connor McVey, Cincinnati (Hitter); Matt Fraudin, Gardner-Webb (Pitcher)
· May 18: Kane Sweeney, Morehead State (Hitter); Ben Wetzler, Oregon State (Pitcher)