The Team of the Week is D3baseball.com's weekly honor roll, in its seventh season of recognizing the top performers at each of nine positions from the previous week. Players are selected from nominations from their school's sports information directors. This is the seventh Team of the Week of the 2018 season.
Games of March 19-25 2018
C Spencer Brandt, So., Texas Lutheran
Brandt led the Bulldogs with a .714 batting average (5-for-7) in a three-game sweep of University of Chicago. Brandt collected a solo home run in the series opener and a double in the final game of the series, posting a 1.286 slugging percentage. He scored one run and drove in four. He was perfect behind the plate and threw out the only runner who tried to steal a base.
1B Andrew Mink, Jr., Oglethorpe
Mink had a truly outstanding week for the Stormy Petrels, going 8-for-10 (.800) with two home runs and a double (1.500 slugging). He had two walks, a sacrifice fly, eight RBIs and four runs scored.
2B Matt Motz, Sr., Oglethorpe
Motz had a day for the ages on Saturday in a doubleheader split with Sewanee. He went 6-for-7 over the two games with nine RBIs. For the week, he went 6-for-12 (0.600) over three games with two runs and nine RBIs.
SS John Rizzo, Sr., Keuka
Rizzo hit for the cycle on Friday as he hit .579 (11-for-19) over the week. He doubled twice, tripled twice and hit a home run as he slugged 1.053. He drove in two and score eight runs.
3B Michael Mateja, Jr., North Central (Ill.)
Mateja had a slash line of .647/.667/1.000 for the week. Four of his 11 hits went for extra bases (three doubles, home run) as he extended his reached-base streak to 53 games dating back to Mar. 20, 2017. He score eight runs and drove in eight iin four games. He played flawless in the field.
OF Tyler Costa, Jr., St. Joseph's (L.I.)
Costa finished 4-for-6 (.667) in SJC's conference opening doubleheader. He scored one and drove in five. The junior posted a .571 on-base percentage with a 1.111 slugging percentage. In game two, his grand slam in the seventh broke a 9-9 stalemate and lifted the Golden Eagles to a 13-9 win.
OF Jake Martin, Jr., Trinity (Tex.)
Martin posted his best week of the season so far with an 8-for-13 (.615) performance at the plate, hitting three home runs in the first two games of the series. Martin also had 10 RBI and six runs scored in the three games, posting a slugging percentage of 1.308 for the series.
OF Garret Wilson, So., Spalding
Wilson went into the week ranked 6th in stolen bases in NCAA Division III and added four over the weekend running his total to 20 on the season. He batted 5-for-7 (.714) on the week, with a .750 on base percentage. He score five and drove in three. Wilson started game one Saturday with three consecutive doubles helping add to a 1.143 slugging percentage for the week.
DH Dan Harwood, So., Wooster
Harwood contributed in a multitude of roles last week, at designated hitter and in the field. He clubbed two homers and four home runs leading to a 1.050 slugging percentage. Harwood logged a team-high 10 RBI and six of his 11 hits went for extra bases. Had at least two hits in all five games batting .550 (11-for-20) in the week.
SP Colin Janison, Sr., Dominican
Janison tossed a complete-game one-hitter in his lone outing last week, a 2-0 win over Concordia-Moorhead. The Stars' senior took a no-hitter into the top of the ninth before a leadoff single broke up no-hit bid. In the game, Janison walked just one while striking out four as he improved to 2-0 on the year. In addition to his work on the mound, Janison scored what proved to be the game-winning run when he led off the fourth with a single; stole second before taking third on a balk; and then scored on a ground ball to second base.
SP Ryan Miller, So., Benedictine
Miller retired 27 of 28 batters with a career high 12 strikeouts in a complete game 1-0 one-hit shutout over the preseason #8 team in the nation (St. Thomas). He retired the first 14 batters of the game before allowing an infield hit, then retired the final 13.
SP Trey Rampy, Sr., Berry
Rampy earning a nine-inning shutout victory over Hendrix, allowing only three hits and no runs. He never allowing more than one base runner in an inning. He also finished the night with a career-high 16 strikeouts, tying the Berry single-season record for most strikeouts in a contest.
RP Zack Reid, Sr., UMass-Dartmouth
Reid tossed a career-high five innings out of the bullpen, working four perfect frames. He allowed just one Bates opponent to reach base (via walk), but was quickly erased via a caught stealing. In his outing, he struck out three to bridge the gap between the third and ninth innings for the Corsairs, stifling the Bobcat lineup multiple times through the order.