DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week awards presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending March 30. Texas sophomore outfielder Will Gasparino and Maryland redshirt sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Hollis Porter were named National Co-Hitters of the Week, while Louisiana sophomore right-handed pitcher JR Tollett was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
A 6-foot-6, 225-pound outfielder, Gasparino smacked five home runs and totaled 13 RBI to lead Texas to a 4-0 week. The Los Angeles, California, native posted a .533/.588/1.600 slash line, leaving the yard in three of the four wins. He mounted two multi-homer performances and three multi-hit games to help the Longhorns secure their best start to conference play since 2010.
In the series opener at Missouri, Gasparino socked a pair of three-run blasts and drove in eight runs. He became just the third Texas player with eight RBI in a contest since 2008, matching Brandon Belt (2008) and Porter Brown (2023). Less than 24 hours later, Gasparino followed his jaw-dropping effort with two solo shots and plated the Longhorns' final three tallies, highlighted by the eventual game-winning jack. He capped the weekend by reaching base safely three times to extend his on-base streak to 19 games.
Porter finished the week with a .632 batting average with four doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI. He got the week started with a 3-for-5 game against George Mason, driving in two runs while clubbing a home run and a double. The Hurley, Mississippi, native hit his first home run of the weekend against Northwestern on Friday, a three-run shot to right field. Porter followed that with a 3-for-4 game on Saturday, hitting a pair of doubles and driving in four or the team's eight runs in the game.
Porter's big game came in the series finale with Northwestern, going 5-for-6 and picking up a career-high six RBI. The six-RBI game was the most for the Terps since Alex Calarco’s seven-RBI game earlier in the season against Mercyhurst. He hit two home runs in the game, a two-run shot in the third inning and a three-run homer in the sixth. He also added an RBI double as a part of his massive offensive performance. It was the first multi-home run game for him at Maryland and the third of this career.
Tollett hurled the first complete-game shutout by a Louisiana pitcher in nearly four years in Sunday's win over James Madison to complete a three-game sweep. The Ruston, Louisiana, native scattered four hits and struck out a career-best 11 batters with no walks in recording his second consecutive quality start and leading Louisiana in the series finale.
He became the first UL pitcher this season to strike out 10 or more batters in a game and first since LP Langevin fanned 10 at Coastal Carolina last season. Tollett, who extended his consecutive scoreless streak to 15 innings, became the first Cajuns' pitcher since Connor Cooke (against Arkansas State on April 10, 2021) to record a complete-game shutout.
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, contact NCBWA Executive Associate Director Mike Montoro (304-293-2821, mike.montoro@mail.wvu.edu).