DALLAS – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 11, today. Arkansas senior infielder/outfielder Aaron Murphree was named National Hitter of the Week, while Arizona senior lefthander David Coulon 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.
Murphree produced one of the most amazing weeks in Arkansas baseball history with eight home runs in six games last week. He hit .524 (11 for 24) for the week with 15 RBIs and 13 runs scored, while slugging 1.667 with a .600 on-base percentage. He also stole a team-high three bases. The Weatherford, Texas, native has homered in a school-record six-straight games and has 12 home runs on the season, which is halfway to Arkansas’ single-season home run record of 24. Murphree had two-multiple home run games this week with two home runs in the second game of a doubleheader with South Dakota State on March 5 and three against Siena on March 7.
Coulon, from Hanford, Calif., tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and tossed a one-hitter over eight innings to help the Wildcats run their scoreless streak to 18-straight innings in a 3-0 win over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi at the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. The senior left-hander was perfect through the first four innings. He faced just two batters over the minimum for eight innings of work, allowing just a double and a walk in the fifth. Coulon’s effort Saturday played a major part in the pitching effort by the Wildcats. UA shut out all three opponents and finished the weekend with 39 strikeouts and only three walks in 27 innings pitched.
With this week’s honor, Coulon automatically is named to the watch list for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the year, sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.
Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Athletic supplies the official cap to more than 100 Division I college teams and official uniforms and team wear to six Division 1 college teams. This is the third season Pro-Line has sponsored the NCBWA’s Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional consideration. For more information about Pro-Line, visit their Web site at: www.prolineathletic.com
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, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro (304-293-2821, mike.montoro@mail.wvu.edu).
