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 May 9, today. West Virginia junior outfielder Grant Buckner was named National Hitter of the Week, while San Diego junior right-hander Kyle Blair 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.
Buckner, an Elkview, W. Va. native, finished 8-for-12 with one double, four home runs, 14 RBI, seven runs scored and 21 total bases as the Mountaineers outscored the Irish, 38-14, last weekend. Buckner’s most notable performance came in game one of last Saturday’s doubleheader, as he drove in 10 runs to break the single-game school record of nine RBI held by former three players. He also became the fifth Mountaineer to hit three home runs in one game, capping his record-breaking effort with a grand slam in WVU’s 22-6 rout over the Fighting Irish. Buckner currently holds a 14-game hitting streak that began on April 17 against Louisville. During his streak, he is batting .475 with six home runs, 22 RBIs, eight doubles and 16 runs scored.
Blair, a junior from Monte Serno, Calif., took a no-hitter 8.2 innings against No. 22 Portland this past Friday before surrendering a double that broke up the no-no bid. Blair had the best performance of his career in a key Friday night West Coast Conference contest. Blair only allowed three bases runners, via a walk through the first eight innings, and at one point he struck out the side in back-to-back innings, fourth and fifth, en route to his season-high 15 strikeouts. He was just one strikeout away from tying himself and Brian Matusz for the USD single-game record of 16. Blair is now 7-3 with an ERA of 2.87 and leads the team with 97 strikeouts.
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; May 4 – Preston Springer, DH, Wichita State; May 11 – Grant Buckner, OF, West Virginia.
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; May 4 – Justin LaTempa, RHP, Oregon; May 11 – Kyle Blair, RHP, San Diego.
Transactions – NCBWA names West Virginia junior OF Grant Buckner and San Diego junior RHP Kyle Blair as Pro-Line Athletic National Players of the Week.
