The Team of the Week is D3baseball.com's weekly honor roll, in its twelfth 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 first Team of the Week of the 2024 season.

Games of February 1-18, 2024

C   James Vaquero, Jr., Southwestern (Texas)

In the Pirates 3-0 series sweep against Sul Ross State, Vaquero totaled six hits, eight runs scored, two home runs, and five RBIs for a .500 batting average on the weekend. Vaquero also collected two stolen bases. Vaquero's eight runs helped the Pirates to twenty-nine total runs scored in the three-game series.

1B Chase Austin, So., Centre

Austin was a big part of the Centre Colonels who opened their season with three wins over Wilmington. He batted .750 with six hits in eight at-bats. He drove in two and score six runs.

2B Jordan Mathewson, Gr., Buena Vista

Matthewson tied for the team lead in hits (batted .600) for the week while reaching base a team-best 11 times during the season-opening three-game series against Hamline. With five of his six hits going for extra-bases, he slugged 1.700. He led the team with eight runs scored which is currently three shy of the DIII lead.

SS Noah Meffert, Jr., George Fox

Meffert made a triumphant return to the field after missing much of the 2023 season with injury, hitting .571 (8-for-14) in four games at the Tommy Boggs Classic in Austin, Texas. The junior totaled eight hits over the weekend and was walked seven times, recording an .714 OBP while hitting three doubles and one triple for a .929 slugging percentage. Meffert struck out just once compared to nine runs scored over the four games. In a 4-2, 11-inning victory over Concordia (Texas); the junior hit the go-ahead RBI triple in the 11th and scored an insurance run on the next play. In two games on the field, Meffert recorded a perfect fielding percentage, ending the weekend with four put-outs, 12 assists, and two double plays.  

3B Pearce Bucher, Gr., Shenandoah

Bucher was part of a 2-0 start for the Shenandoah Hornets. He batted .667 (4-for-6) in the two games with six runs and five RBIs. He hit a double and two home runs as he slugged  1.833 to open the 2024 campaign.

OF Brennen Davis, Jr., Lewis & Clark

Davis recorded four home runs, 10 RBI and a .952 slugging percentage to lead Lewis & Clark to a 2-1-1 Opening Weekend. The junior center fielder led the Pioneers with seven hits, seven runs, 10 RBI, and five extra-base hits in four games. He put together a slash line of .333/.391/.952. The junior capped off the weekend by pitching a 1-2-3 inning in a 10-2 win over red-hot Pomona-Pitzer. 

OF Alex Divito, Jr., North Park

Divito batted .750 (6-for-8) in an opening day doubleheader. Two of his hits went for extra bases - a double and home run. He score four runs with an RBI. He was 3-for-3 in stolen bases.

OF Brandon Jenkins, Fr., Buena Vista

Jenkins was making his collegiate debut over the weekend during a season-opening three-game series against Hamline. He homered in his first career at-bat and later added two triples enroute to a 1.300 slugging percentage. He finished the weekend having batted .600 (6-for10) with seven runs scored and five RBIs.

DH Ben Prather, So., Centre

Prather started off the 2024 season in a big way as Centre went 3-0 to start the year. In this weekend's series against Wilmington, he went 6-for-10 (.600) at the plate with two doubles, three triples, eight runs scored and ten RBIs. The 2023 SAA Newcomer of the Year tied a school record with eight RBIs in the season opener on Feb. 17 as the Colonels outscored Wilmington 46-8 across the three games. He also got a start in the second game of the series and had a career high eight strikeouts in five innings, allowing just four hits as Centre earned a 10-0 victory.

SP Sayers Collins, Gr., East Tex. Baptist

Collins combined for a no-hitter with Will Croft against the reigning national champions, No. 6 Lynchburg. He struck out seven batters in seven innings of work. He faced 21 batters and retired 16 straight batters going 1-2-3 in the second through sixth inning and the first batter in the seventh inning.

SP  Will Henkel, Jr., Washington (Mo.)

Henkel did not miss a beat from last season - In Henkel's first start of the season against Hendrix, Henkel fired 5.1 innings of no-hit baseball - Henkel logged six innings and only surrendered one hit in the 12-0 thumping of the Warriors. Henkel racked up five strikeouts as he helped the Bears open the season with a 3-0 record.

SP Adrian Montenegro, Jr., Dallas University

Montenegro won twice in the early part of the season. He defeated Sul Ross State in the season opener on February 9th and Howard Payne on February 17th. He pitched into the seventh inning on both occasions totaling 14.2 innings. He has allowed six hits and two walks, striking out 16 for 9.83 strikeouts per nine innings. He finished the first half of February with a 0.61 ERA (1 earned run).

SP Dylan Weber, Gr., Christopher Newport

Dylan kicked off the season with a strong performance on opening day, striking out 12 batters in a no decision against William Peace. He tossed 6.0 innings and allowed just two hits and one run against the Pacers. The 12 punchouts is tied for the second most in his career and gives him 276 for his career, ranking fourth most in program history. As a team, the Captains struck out 19 Pacers, ranking as the second most in a single game in CNU history and the best opening day performance by a pitching staff.

RP Eric Prough, Sr., Pomona-Pitzer

Prough has pitched in five of Pomona-Pitzer's first seven games, compling seven innings of work. He has allowed one hit, one walk with 10 strikeouts. He earn both of his two saves this last weekend in wins over Linfield.