Louisiana College is the first NCAA Div. III institution to have two National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association hitter winners in the same season since 2010, while the Ohio Athletic Conference and Liberty League had this week’s top pitcher and rookie, respectively. This week’s honorees were recognized for performances spanning March 15-21.
HITTER OF WEEK
Louisiana College’s Dane Pedersen crushed the ball in the Wildcats’ three-game sweep at Sul Ross State University. The senior first baseman hit .571 (8-for-14) with two doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI, and five runs scored. This marks the second time the Wildcats have had the hitter honoree this season, with Ty Morgan winning the season-opening February Hitter of the Month accolade.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Ethan Carmack, Sr., DeSales University – Was outstanding in the four-game sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham. Carmack hit .533 (8-for-15) with three home runs, a double, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored. He had five hits, including two home runs and eight RBI in the road sweep of the Devils. Carmack then added three more hits, another home run, and six RBI in the home sweep of FDU-Florham.
PITCHER OF WEEK
University of Mount Union junior Thomas Gallant fired a three-hit, nine-inning shutout against Heidelberg University in an 8-0 win by the Purple Raiders on Saturday. Gallant struck out 13 and walked one. On the year, Gallant’s 2-0 with two shutouts. He’s scattered five hits in 16 innings and has struck out 24. The right-hander sports a 21-inning scoreless streak dating back to the 2020 season.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Alex Doskoez, Jr., Purchase College – Fired a nine-inning two-hitter in Purchase’s game one win over SUNY Maritime on Sunday. Doskoez registered a .069 batting average against and struck out 14 in the 2-1 victory.
ROOKIE OF WEEK
University of Rochester freshman Nolan Sparks tossed a two-hit shutout against SUNY Cortland on Wednesday in his collegiate debut. Sparks needed 92 pitches to get through seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one. Rochester swept Cortland to open the season and won 8-0 in Sparks’ outing.
2021 WINNERS
• Month of February: Ty Morgan, Louisiana College (Hitter); Brett Sanchez, Belhaven (Pitcher); Levi Cloud, Berry (Rookie)
• Week ending March 7: Caleb Durbin, Washington-St. Louis (Hitter); Patrick O’Rourke, Berry (Pitcher); Amani Jones, Stevenson (Rookie)
• Week ending March 14: Philip Mahlik, Kean (Hitter); Ryan Behling, North Central (Pitcher); Jacob Cyrus, Illinois Wesleyan (Rookie)
ABOUT THE NCBWA
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 contests, and writing contests.