DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending Feb. 15. Texas Tech junior first baseman Eric Gutierrez was named National Hitter of the Week, while Navy junior left-handed pitcher Luke Gillingham 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.
Gutierrez started the season by batting .750 (9-for-12) with seven runs scored, three doubles, four RBI and seven walks without a strikeout, while reaching base safely in 16-of-19 plate appearances (.842 on-base percentage) leading No. 5 Texas Tech to a 4-0 record with a series sweep over San Francisco at Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock. The Mission, Texas, native hit safely in all four games with three multi-hit games, including a career-high 4-for-4 performance in the series finale with three RBI and an intentional walk. Gutierrez went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI in the opener and then scored three runs going 2-for-3 with two walks and a double in game two of the series. He tallied three walks going 1-for-2 with two runs and a double in game three and finished the series with his first-career four-hit performance.
Gillingham had an unbelievable debut with just one hit and no walks allowed in seven innings and 16 strikeouts in an 8-1 win over North Carolina A&T in Navy’s opener on Feb. 13. The Coronado, Calif., native fanned the first 12 batters he faced through four innings, and had his no-hit bid broken up with two outs in the fifth with the only baserunner he allowed over seven innings. His 16 strikeouts were the most for a Navy pitcher since 1986 and tied him for fifth in a single game at the school. It was also just one off the Patriot League record of 17 that has been held by Army’s Steve Reich since 1993.
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.
