Perfection and near-perfection steal the headlines this week for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Hitter, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Week. This week’s pitcher fired the first perfect game in Div. III this spring, an error was all that kept this week’s Rookie of the Week from a perfect game, while this week’s Hitter of the Week batted .800 over a five-game stretch. This week’s selections cover games played February 27-March 5.

Junior firstbaseman Julian Sanders Claremont-M-S was an honorable mention hitter this week Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletics photo

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Alma College (Michigan) senior first baseman Avery Carnicom batted .800 (16-of-20) with 11 RBI, nine runs scored, four homers, and four walks during a five-game stretch for the Scots. Carnicom had multiple RBI and multiple hits in all five games, including four games with at least three base knocks. The senior broke the program’s 34-year-old record with his 22nd career home run in Saturday’s 6-5 win over Centenary College of Louisiana. Carnicom was this week’s Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Baseball Position Player of the Week and was on D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week.

Honorable Mention Hitter: Julian Sanders, Jr., 1B, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (California) – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week after going 9-for-14 (.643) with 11 RBI, six runs scored, and four home runs over four games. Went 8-for-12 with three homers and a double in a three-game series sweep of Pomona-Pitzer (California).

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Bridgewater State University’s (Massachusetts) Matt Josselyn fired Div. III’s first perfect game of the season, as the Bears opened 2023 with a 4-0 victory over Rivier University (New Hampshire) on Sunday. The graduate student struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced in the seven-inning victory. Just two balls left the infield – a fly out to center field in the third inning and a fly out to right field in the sixth inning. The perfect game is the second in program history. Josselyn was on this week’s D3baseball.com Team of the Week and was selected as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week.

Honorable Mention Pitcher: Nathan Mankoski, Fr., University of Pittsburgh Greensburg (Pennsylvania) – Fired a seven-inning no-hitter in his first collegiate start. Struck out a program-record 15 batters in the program’s first no-hitter. Was an error away from a perfect game in Friday’s 13-0 win over Martin Luther College (Minnesota). Mankoski was on this week’s D3baseball.com Team of the Week and was the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Pitcher of the Week.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
University of Pittsburgh Greensburg freshman Nathan Mankoski had a memorable first collegiate start with a seven-inning no-hitter in Friday’s 13-0 win over Martin Luther College (Minnesota) at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Mankoski, who logged the program’s first no-hitter, struck out a program-record 15 batters. He was an error away from a perfect game. Mankoski was on this week’s D3baseball.com Team of the Week and was the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Pitcher of the Week.

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.

2023 WINNERS

• Month of February: Jackson Hobbs, N.C. Wesleyan (Hitter); David Muirhead, Marymount (Pitcher); Jake Estrada, Ozarks & Ryan Kramer, Wooster (co-Rookie)
• March 8 (games played February 27-March 5): Avery Carnicom, Alma (Hitter); Matt Josselyn, Bridgewater State (Pitcher); Nathan Mankoski, Pitt-Greensburg (Rookie)