DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending February 28. Vanderbilt junior utility player Dominic Keegan was named National Hitter of the Week, while McNeese State redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Will Dion 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.
Keegan posted multi-hit efforts in four of Vanderbilts five contests on the week while notching at least one hit in all five. He went 3-for-3 in Wednesday·s midweek win over Western Kentucky with a team-high three RBIs. All three of his hits against the Hilltoppers went for extra bases, including two doubles and his first career home run.
Keegan launched his second home run of the week in Saturdays win over Georgia State with a two-run shot. He registered eight RBIs across Sunday·s doubleheader with the Panthers, including a career-high six RBIs in the second game of the twinbill as the Commodores scored a season-high 17 runs.
The Methuen, Massachusetts, native connected on his first career grand slam and his third home run of the week with a deep shot to center field in the weekend series finale with Georgia State.
Keegan slugged 1.533 on the week, while collecting 23 total bases and posting an on-base percentage of .762 and recording six walks. Seven of his 10 hits on the week went for extra bases.
The Sulphur, Louisiana native, tied a McNeese record with 19 strikeouts in Friday night's 5-0 win over Prairie View in picking up the win in his first complete game and shutout of his collegiate career. He matched the record first set by Terry Burrows against ULL in the 1990 season.
In the win, Dion threw 103 pitches with 83 of those going for strikes. Only once did he allow a runner to get to third base and only four runners on base the entire game. He retired the first 13 batters faced before giving up a walk and a single with one out in the fifth inning.
In three innings he struck out batters for all three outs and had two strikeouts an inning four other frames and faced 30 batters, just three over the minimum.
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, 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.
2021 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
Week ending Feb. 22: Blayne Jones, Dallas Baptist (Hitter); Jordan Wicks, Kansas State (Pitcher)
· Week ending Feb. 28: Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Will Dion, McNeese State (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 7: Kenyon Yovan, Oregon (Hitter); Ty Madden, Texas (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 14: Cade Doughty, LSU (Hitter); Jarrett Whorff, Louisiana Tech (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 21: Robby Martin, Florida State (Hitter); Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)
· Week ending March 28: Caden Grice, Clemson (Hitter); Chayce McDermott, Ball State (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 4: Adrian Del Castillo, Miami (Hitter); Seth Lonsway, Ohio State (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 11: Ivan Melendez, Texas (Hitter); Jonathan Cannon, Georgia (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 18: Aaron Beck, Indiana State (Hitter); Alek Jacob, Gonzaga (Pitcher)
· Week ending April 25: T.J. Collett, Kentucky (Hitter); Landen Bourassa, San Francisco (Pitcher)
· Week ending May 2: Dustin Demeter, Hawaii (Hitter); Tyler Burnham, Seton Hall (Pitcher)
· Week ending May 9: Will Frizzell, Texas A&M (Hitter); Justin Campbell, Oklahoma State (Pitcher)
· Week ending May 16: Ethan Long, Arizona State (Hitter); Andrew Abbott, Virginia (Pitcher)
· Week ending May 23: Cody Littlejohn, Tennessee Tech (Hitter); Cooper Hjerpe, Oregon State (Pitcher)
2021 NCBWA Division I Players of the Month:
February: Wes Clarke, South Carolina (Player); Carson Whisenhunt, East Carolina (Pitcher)
· March: Tim Elko, Ole Miss (Player); Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)
· April: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Oklahoma State (Player); Kevin Kopps, Arkansas (Pitcher)
· May: Jack Rogers, Sam Houston (Player); Kevin Kopps, Arkansas (Pitcher)