DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards the week ending on March 23, 2025. California (Pa.) senior first baseman Payton Conte, is the National Hitter of the Week and Concordia University Irvine sophomore righty Matthew Kaiser is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Conte (California, Pa. / California HS) hit at a .625 clip with 16 RBI and seven runs scored last week, as the Vulcans won all four games to extend their
winning streak to 10 games – their longest since the 2010 campaign. He also registered a 1.650 OPS behind four multi-hit and four multi-RBI games. Conte
reached base five times (two hits, two walks, hit by pitch), drove in two runs, scored three times and stole one base on Tuesday in a 15-13 victory over
Wheeling. Conte lined a two-run double in the first inning before drawing a leadoff walk in the eighth inning and scored the eventual game-winning run.
Conte registered six hits (two doubles, homer), nine RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base in a home doubleheader sweep against Lock Haven to open
PSAC West play on Friday when California scored a combined 29 runs over 14 innings. The 6-foot-4 first baseman then collected two hits and five RBI in a
13-12 comeback victory in Game 1 on Saturday at Lock Haven (Game 2 was postponed due to weather conditions). The Vulcans trailed by a 12-3 margin
before he registered at least one RBI in his final three plate appearances, including a go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh.
Kaiser (Los Alamitos, Calif. / Los Alamitos HS) threw the first no-hitter in CUI's D2 history and just the second no-hitter ever in the Golden Eagle record
books, doing so against the PacWest Conference leader and nationally No. 4 ranked Westmont on the road. In his 7-inning, complete-game win, he fanned
nine Warriors and walked three. He needed just 86 pitches to complete the gem, just his second complete game this season. He retired the first 12 batters
he faced before giving up a walk in the fifth. Kaiser walked two in the sixth, but a double play erased the threat, and then the sophomore set the side down
in order in the seventh. Kaiser is now 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA and has 44 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched.
Division II Regional Players of the Week:
- Atlantic: Payton Conte, California (Pa.) (Hitter); Patrick Bauer, Frostburg State (Pitcher)
- Central: Vance Tobol, Central Missouri (Hitter); Colton Anderson, Rogers State (Pitcher)
- East: Kolongi Goins, Mercy (Hitter); Dawson Montesa, Adelphi (Pitcher)
- Midwest: Lucas Mead, Saginaw Valley State (Hitter); Hunter Allen, Ashland (Pitcher)
- South: Bryce LaRocca, Mississippi College (Hitter); Drake Fontenot, Delta State (Pitcher)
- South Central: Brevin McCool, Lubbock Christian (Hitter); Kaleb Gauna, St. Mary’s (Texas) (Pitcher)
- Southeast: Kyle Robitzsch, North Georgia (Hitter); Bradley Wilson, Georgia College (Pitcher)
- West: Jack Nehler, Montana State Billings (Hitter); Matthew Kaiser, Concordia University Irvine (Pitcher)
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport.
Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year
and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication and writing contests.
2025 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
• Feb. 6: Lance Barnett, Cameron (Hitter, South Central); Drake LaRoche, Valdosta State (Pitcher, South)
• Feb. 13: Brevin McCool, Lubbock Christian (Hitter, South Central); Kolby Dougan, Pittsburg State (Pitcher, Central)
• Feb. 20: Ahmad Fitts, Florida Southern (Hitter, South); Ryan Markwardt, Lubbock Christian (Pitcher, South Central)
• Feb. 27: Jackson Babcock, Colorado School of Mines (Hitter, South Central); Maddox Long, Harding (Pitcher, Central)
• March 6: Dylan Fesperman, West Texas A&M (Hitter, South Central); Julian Costa, West Chester (Pitcher, Atlantic)
• March 13: Brandham Ponce, Central Washington (Hitter, West); J.D. Hennen, Augustana (Pitcher, Central)
• March 20: Adam Paniagua, Regis (Hitter, South Central); Ryan Chamberlain (Pitcher, Central)
• March 27: Payton Conte, California (Pa.) (Hitter, Atlantic); Matthew Kaiser, Concordia University Irvine (Pitcher, West)