CHICAGO (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the
Week awards for the period ending May 9.
Georgia senior shortstop Justin Holmes and UNC Wilmington sophomore
second baseman Lee McLean have been named National Co-Hitters of
the Week, while Long Beach State's junior RHP Jered Weaver and Washington
freshman RHP Tim Lincecum were named National Co-Pitchers of the
Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference
each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
McLean batted .529 (9-17) with two homers, a triple, nine runs scored
and six RBI to lead UNC Wilmington to a perfect 5-0 week, including a sweep
of CAA foe Towson. The sophomore Rowland, N.C., native had a career-high
three hits, drove in three and scored four times as the Seahawks defeated
No. 5 East Carolina 15-5 on Tuesday. McLean had a .941 slugging percentage
for the week and an on-base average of .591.
Holmes batted .538 (7-for-13) with three home runs and eight RBI with
six runs scored and two stolen bases in leading Georgia to its first-ever
sweep of Mississippi State in Starkville and continue its 12-game winning
streak. The Oviedo, Fla., native registered a perfect fielding percentage
in 20 total chances in the MSU series. In game one versus MSU, he hit a
two-run home run to give Georgia the lead for good in a 7-6 win. He also
had a two-run homer in game two of the series and hit a solo home run in
game three of the series. He is leading the Bulldogs during the current
12-game winning streak with a .415 average, three home runs and 16 RBI.
Lincecum picked up two victories over No. 1 Stanford last weekend, getting
a win in relief on Friday (two innings, two hits, two strikeouts, one walk,
no runs) as the UW won in 10 innings and then again on Sunday, in a start.
He struck out 13 batters over eight innings, his longest-ever outing. The
Renton, Wash., native's last seven outs came via strikeouts. He walked four,
allowed seven hits and surrendered two runs to the No. 1 Cardinal, who entered
the weekend batting .336 as a team, fourth in the nation. With 13 strikeouts,
he has 127 on the season, only four short of the UW single-season record
of 131, set by Jeff Heaverlo in 1999. For the weekend against the hard-hitting
Cardinal, he was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA with 10 innings, nine hits, two runs,
five walks and 15 strikeouts.
Weaver earns his third national accolade in 2004 when he set Long Beach
State's single-game record of 17 strikeouts against Pacific, the same record
he tied back on March 24 against Wichita State when he struck out 16 over
six innings. The Simi Valley, Calif., native retired the final 18 batters
he faced, 12 by strikeout. Of the 29 batters he faced, 25 had two strikes.
He also only gave up two hits and used 115 pitches.
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 Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player
of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason
All-American awards, publication and writing contests.
2004 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
• Feb. 10: Josh Brady, Texas Tech (Hitter); Jered
Weaver, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
• Feb. 17: Seth Johnston, Texas (Hitter); David Purcey, Oklahoma (Pitcher)
• Feb. 24: Brian Bixley, Eastern Michigan (Hitter); Adam Gold,
California and Jason Urquidez, Arizona State (Pitcher)
• March 2: Sean Gaston, Notre Dame and Jed Lowrie, Stanford (Hitter);
Derek Duclos, Richmond and Derek Hankins, Memphis (Pitcher)
• March 9: Ryan Frith, Southern Miss and Stephen Head, Ole Miss (Hitter);
Clay Dirks, LSU and Jim Ripley, Kansas State (Pitcher)
• March 16: Connor Robertson, Birmingham-Southern (Hitter); Cliff Russum,
Southern Miss (Pitcher)
• March 23: Jonathan Batts, UNC Wilmington and Rielly Embrey, San Diego
State (Hitter); Jarame Beaupre, Delaware and Matt Daley, Bucknell (Pitcher)
• March 30: Warner Jones, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Steve Grasley, Creighton
and Jered Weaver, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
• April 6: Grant Richardson, Washington State (Hitter); Dennis Bigley,
Oral Roberts (Pitcher)
• April 13: Brad Corley, Mississippi State (Hitter); Brian Bogusevic,
Tulane (Pitcher)
• April 20: Todd Kimling, Eastern Michigan and Daniel Stovall, New Mexico
(Hitter); Tim Layden, Duke and J.P. Howell, Texas (Pitcher)
• April 27: Nic Crosta, Santa Clara and Richard Gianotto, Miami (Hitter);
Matt Campbell, South Carolina and Zack Zuercher, Rhode Island (Pitcher)
• May 4: Brian Hall, Stanford and Kurt Suzuki, Cal State
Fullerton (Hitter); Zac Cline, West Virginia and Arik Hempy, South Carolina (Pitcher)
• May 11: Justin Holmes, Georgia and Lee McLean, UNC Wilmington
(Hitter); Tim Lincecum, Washington and Jered Weaver, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
• May 18: Steve Cavarati, Ohio State and Eric Nielsen, UNLV (Hitter);
Mike Rogers and Vern Sterry, N.C. State (Pitcher)
• May 25: Josh Ford, Baylor and Andy Hudak, Bowling Green (Hitter);
Greg Bunn, East Carolina and Jason Windsor, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher)