FROM NCBWA RELEASE
MORGANTOWN, W.Va – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 14, today. Rutgers junior outfielder Pat Biserta was named National Hitter of the Week, while Richmond junior right-hander Billy Barber 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.
Biserta hit .550 with three home runs, three doubles and a triple to drive in 13 runs and score nine in a 4-0 week for Rutgers. In the three-game sweep at Florida International, the Pt. Pleasant, N.J., native hit .529 with nine hits, including three home runs and three doubles and drove in 13 runs while scoring seven in the three games. In the series finale on 3/14, Biserta hit a grand slam to give Rutgers the lead late in the contest. In the series opener against FIU on 3/12, Biserta went 5-for-7 with three doubles and a home run to drive in six runs and score four in the contest. He had multiple hits in all four games on the week.
Barber stretched his scoreless-innings streak to 9.2 innings and played a key role – both offensively and on the mound – as the Spiders went 6-2 over the last eight games. The Fredericksburg, Va., native picked up wins on the mound over George Mason and Lafayette and recorded his first two career saves in back-to-back wins over High Point and Columbia. He allowed just four hits and two walks, while striking out eight in his four relief appearances. As the starting DH, Barber helped his cause by supplying game-winning hits over George Mason and High Point and batting .400 (10-of-25) with three doubles, a homer and five RBI.
Pro-Line Athletic, owned by Badger Sport, supplies caps and uniforms to several D-1 college baseball teams and this is the sixth 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 and Badger, visit their web sites at: www.badgersport.com and www.prolinecap.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 Executive Assistant Director Mike Montoro (304-293-2821, mike.montoro@mail.wvu.edu).
2010 WINNERS:
Pro-Line Athletic Hitter of the Week – Feb. 23 – Zack MacPhee, 2B, Arizona State; March 2 – Brian Fletcher, OF, Auburn; March 9 – Mark Micowski, Georgia State; March 16 – Pat Biserta, Rutgers.
Pro-Line Athletic Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 23 – Matt Bywater, LHP, Pepperdine; March 2 – Jason Mitchell, RHP, UT – Arlington; March 9 – Michael Goodnight, Houston; March 16 – Billy Barber, RHP, Richmond.
Transactions – NCBWA named Rutgers junior outfielder Pat Biserta and Richmond junior RHP Billy Barber as Pro-Line Athletic National Players of the Week.
