DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending May 4. Florida junior second baseman Casey Turgeon was named National Hitter of the Week, while Oregon State junior left-handed pitcher Jace Fry 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.
Turgeon powered Florida's offense with a .727 (8-for-11) batting average in three games, along with a .909 slugging percentage and an .800 on-base percentage. The Palm Harbor, Fla., native keyed Florida's first three-game sweep of Western Division co-leader Alabama in Tuscaloosa since 1988. The leadoff hitter helped extend the Gators' SEC winning streak to school-record-tying 11 games, last done in 1968.
Turgeon had multiple hits in all three contests and scored in every game. He opened the weekend by going 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a run and a sacrifice bunt as the Gators won game one, 7-3. He was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI double in the fifth inning and drew a pair of walks as Florida clinched the series on Saturday, 4-3, and added two more hits in the series finale, while contributing a sacrifice bunt and scoring a run.
Fry, a junior from Beaverton, Ore., recorded his third complete-game shutout of the season, giving up just one hit and one walk in nine of innings of work in a 5-0 victory at California on Sunday. The performance helped the Beavers complete their second-consecutive Pac-12 Conference series sweep. The lefty faced just three batters over the minimum, while striking out six en route to his ninth win of the season.
This season, he has held opponents to one hit or less while working seven innings or more four times and over his last 17 innings has allowed just two hits while posting 17 strikeouts. His 1.59 ERA currently ranks fourth in the Pac-12, and his 0.98 ERA in seven league games is also good for fourth in the conference.
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)