DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending Feb. 26. Mississippi State junior outfielder Brent Rooker was named National Hitter of the Week, while Sacramento State senior right-handed pitcher Justin Dillon 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.
Rooker went 8-for-8 with three home runs, three doubles and 14 RBI over a two-game stretch vs. Indiana State (Feb. 24) and Marist (Feb. 25) last weekend. With a .474 batting average on the week (9-for-19), Rooker also posted a .583 on-base percentage on the week and a 1.158 slugging percentage.
On Friday against Indiana State, Rooker went 4-for-4 with two home runs and two doubles to drive in eight runs, making him the first Bulldog to drive in eight runs in a game since Ryan Duffy on April 6, 2010 vs. Jackson State. For a Saturday encore vs. Marist, Rooker posted another 4-for-4 performance with a home run and a double for six more RBI.
With five stolen bases on the week, Rooker is now 8-for-8 through nine games in 2017 after swiping just two bases in the first 92 games of his collegiate career. On the year, Rooker leads the SEC in RBI (17), total bases (27) and stolen bases (8), while ranking second in doubles (5).
Dillon threw first no-hitter in Sacramento State’s Division I history on Feb. 23 against Northern Kentucky. The senior right-hander issued just one walk and had a career-high 13 strikeouts, facing just two batters over the minimum with a walk in the fifth inning and a Hornet fielding error in the ninth. He was dominant right from the start, striking out the first five batters he faced and not allowing a base runner before NKU second baseman Kyle Colletta drew a two-out walk in the fifth inning.
Dillon struck out at least one batter in six of nine innings, including two strikeouts in the ninth. In all, he forced 10 ground ball outs, three fly outs, and a soft line out to shortstop to go with his 13 strikeouts.
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