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Rian Schwede, Endicott earned the third Rookie of the |
There certainly wasn’t a lack of head-turning performances among NCAA Div. III student-athletes in games played March 2-8, as this week’s National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Pitcher of the Week had the most strikeouts in a Div. III game since 2011, this week’s Hitter of the Week hit five longballs, and for the first time since the Rookie honor started in 2018, there’s co-winners.
HITTER OF WEEK
Lebanon Valley College senior Michael Leri put together an impressive week at the plate to guide the Dutchmen to a perfect 9-0 spring break trip. Leri’s week was highlighted by a game where the senior launched three home runs in an 11-3 win over Kenyon College. It was the first time in LVC history that a player hit three longballs in one game. He followed it up by hitting another homer against Roger Williams University in the Dutchmen’s 6-4 win. The senior finished the week with seven hits, five home runs, four walks, seven hit by pitches, 10 runs scored, and nine RBI.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Michael Gruber, Sr., SS, Saint John’s University (Minn.) – Batted .714 (20-for-28) with 18 RBI, six doubles, a triple, and four stolen bases from the No. 2 spot in the lineup, as Saint John’s went 7-1 over a five-day period last week in Fort Myers, Florida. He became the 32nd Johnnie to reach 100 career hits on March 4 and batted .769 (10-for-13) with runners in scoring position and .824 (14-for-17) with runners on base during the week.
Past winners:
Week 1: Devin Hooper, Schreiner
Week 2: Derek Hurt, Maryville
PITCHER OF WEEK
Senior Matthew D’Ambrosia set a Muhlenberg College record and tied the Centennial Conference mark by striking out 21 batters while pitching a three-hit shutout in the Mules’ 5-0 win against Lesley University. He broke the previous school mark of 17, set 55 years ago, and set the Centennial Conference record for whiffs by a right-hander in a game. D’Ambrosia allowed only five baserunners and struck out the side in the third, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings, tying another school record with six consecutive strikeouts. He also became Muhlenberg’s all-time strikeout leader when he fanned his seventh batter in the third inning, and now has 218 career strikeouts. D’Ambrosia’s 21 strikeouts are the most by a NCAA Div. III pitcher since Dickinson College’s Sean White struck out 21 McDaniel College batters on April 15, 2011, and its tied for the fourth-most strikeouts in a game in Div. III history.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Michael Simmerman, Sr., Alvernia University – Threw the fourth no-hitter in school history during Alvernia’s 25-0 win over Finlandia University. Simmerman struck out 10 and had just one walk during the seven-inning shutout.
Past winners:
Week 1: Ian McCole, Misericordia
Week 2: Ryan Boyer, Pitt-Bradford
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| Harutaro Takahashi, New England College was named co-winner of the NCBWA Rookie of the Week award. New England College athletics photo |
ROOKIE OF WEEK
Endicott College’s Rian Schwede threw nine innings of shutout ball on Sunday as Endicott defeated Bates College 7-0 in non-conference action. The first-year hurler scattered eight hits and walked none, while striking out three. He also sat down the Bobcats in order on three occasions.
New England College’s Harutaro Takahashi batted .407 on the week, helping the Pilgrims to a 4-2 record. He tallied a hit in five of the six games, including three multi-hit games. He drove in nine runs and scored 10 times. The rookie hit three home runs and finished the week with a .778 slugging percentage.
Past winners:
Week 1: Jackson Balzan, Salisbury
Week 2: Ian Metzger, William Paterson
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters, and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Player of the Year Award, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication and writing contests.