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 April 25, today. North Dakota junior first baseman Jake Magner was named National Hitter of the Week, while Eastern Michigan sophomore right-handed pitcher Kendall Lewis 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.
Magner set school records for home runs and RBI in a single game as he went 4-for-6 with four home runs and nine RBI to lead the Sioux to a thrilling 20-19 victory in game two of a Saturday doubleheader against New York Tech. Two of his four home runs in the contest were three-run shots and he opened the scoring with a solo blast in the first.
The Grand Rapids, Minn., native finished the doubleheader with six home runs and 13 RBs, going 7-for-10 with seven runs scored in the two games. His five runs in the nightcap tied a UND record and he was the first player in DI this season to hit four homers in a game. For the series against NYIT, Magner hit .556 (10-for-18), scored 10 runs, hit six homers and drove in 14 runs.
Lewis had a record setting performance in the Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Western Michigan, April 24, as he went 11 innings, giving up just three hits and one walk, while striking out a career-high 10 batters in the shutout win. The Huntsville, Ohio native’s 11-inning outing is the longest by any pitcher in the nation this season.
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; March 23 – Hunter Morris, INF, Auburn; March 30 – Mark Castellitto, OF, Gonzaga; April 6 – Austin Wates, UT, Virginia Tech; April 13 – Steve McQuail, INF, Canisius; April 20 – Drew Lee, SS, Morehead State; April 27 – Jake Magner, 1B, North Dakota.
Pro-Line Athletic Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 23 – Matt Bywater, LHP, Pepperdine; March 2 – Jason Mitchell, RHP, UT – Arlington; March 9 – Michael Goodnight, RHP, Houston; March 16 – Billy Barber, RHP, Richmond; March 23 – Teddy Kaufman, LHP, USF; March 30 – Randy Fontanez, RHP, USF; April 6 – Andrew Barbosa, LHP, USF; April 13 – Greg Gonzalez, RHP, Fresno State; April 20 – Cole Green, RHP, Texas; April 27 – Kendall Lewis, RHP, Eastern Michigan.
