DALLAS (NCBWA) – Performances that saw a no-hitter, 13 strikeouts and 17 RBIs over four games captured the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III honors for the week of March 17-23.
HITTER OF THE WEEK
Spalding University (Kentucky) senior catcher Hunter Strong was retired only twice over four games, finishing 10-for-12 (.833) at the plate. The Louisville, Ky. native drilled four homers and added a pair of doubles among his 10 hits and knocked home 17 runs. An All-American in 2024, Strong opened the standout week with multi-hit performances against nationally recognized foes. The senior broke out by driving home six runs with a homer in a 2-for-2 showing in the opener of a twinbill later in the week. Strong followed that performance with a 9-RBI outburst in the second game of a doubleheader, belting three homers while scoring four runs and drawing an intentional walk. The SLIAC Player of the Week crossed the plate 10 times.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Mitchel Johnson, Sr., OF, Catholic University (Washington, D.C.) logged six extra-base hits among his weekly total of seven, finishing with a .466 average. Johnson homered four times and finished with 13 RBIs in a 5-1 week that saw the Olney, Md. Native capture his second Landmark Conference weekly award.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Washington University (Missouri) sophomore hurler Townsend Stevenson threw just the second complete game no-hitter in program history for the 24th-ranked team in the nation. Stevenson became the first player in program history to record double-digit strikeouts in a no-hitter, sitting down 12 batters via the K in the seven-inning contest. The win was his first of the year and the first no-hitter by a pitcher in the UAA this season.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Frank Willius, So., California Lutheran University made a pair of dominant appearances on the mound. The left-hander allowed just three hits over 12 innings while issuing just one walk. Willius struck out 24 batters including 15 in a seven-inning outing against Occidental.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Wartburg College (Iowa) starter Emerson Alberhasky made just his third career start count, striking out 13 hitters over eight innings. Five of the strikeouts came of the looking variety. The Ankeny, Iowa resident surrendered only two hits in his dominant performance. Alberhasky has made consecutive starts of seven innings or longer with nine or more strikeouts.
2025 NCBWA DIVISION PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Month of February: Dane Camphausen, Case Western Reserve (Hitter); Nick Tarantino, Millsaps (Pitcher); Ian Swanson, Methodist, North Carolina (Rookie)
• Week of February 24-March 2: Caleb Gray, Whitworth (Hitter); Jacob Davis, Kalamazoo (Pitcher); Aiden Berg, Martin Luther (Rookie)
• Week of March 3-9: Jack Gold, Pomona-Pitzer (Hitter); Mark Eddie, Buena Vista (Pitcher); Xander Meissner, Bethany Lutheran (Co-Rookie); Carson Orvis, Kalamazoo (Co-Rookie)
• Week of March 10-16: Brendan Tabor, Anderson (Hitter); Robert Nathan, William Paterson (Pitcher); Ethan McDonald, Eureka (Rookie)
• Week of March 17-23: Hunter Strong, Spalding (Hitter); Townsend Stevenson, Washington-St. Louis (Pitcher); Emerson Alberhasky, Wartburg (Rookie)