DALLAS (NCBWA) Shortstop Tony Petulla of Pennsylvania
State University-Altoona slugged his team into the conference tournament
while Franklin College (Ind.) ace Brandon McWhorter threw back-to-back
shutouts, earning 2005 NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week
and Pitcher of the Week for April 25-May 1 from the National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association.
Petulla, a lefty-swinging sophomore from Osceola Mills, Pa., led the
Lions to a 4-0 week and into the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
tournament by hitting .692 (9-for-13) with a pair of home runs, a slugging
percentage of 1.154, 3 runs scored and 10 RBI. He began the week with a
4-for-5 game vs. Juniata, with a home run, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and
was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in the second game. He had a grand slam against
Penn St. Behrend in the regular season conference finale that put Altoona
in the tournament. Petulla is currently ranked second in the conference
in hitting (.410) and slugging pct. (.713), and first in hits (50) and RBI
(48).
McWhorter, a right-handed junior from New Castle, Ind., blanked Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents in consecutive games to improve
to 5-2 overall. He pitched the full nine innings and allowed just 4 hits,
issued no walks and had 9 strikeouts in the Grizzlies' 7-0 victory at Anderson
April 25. McWhorter then went the full seven innings and gave up 5 hits
and 1 walk and had 5 strikeouts in Franklin's 4-0 second-game victory at
20th-ranked Manchester on April 30. McWhorter, who has a 2.39 ERA, was 2-0
with a 0.00 ERA in 16 innings, 9 hits, 14 strikeouts and 1 walk.
Honorable Mention Hitters: Austin DeHoogh (Central IA) - .778
(7-9), 1 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI, 5 runs, 1.111 slugging pct.; Josh Santry
(Amherst) .667 (10-15), 2 doubles, 1 home run, 9 RBI, 1.000 slugging pct.,
.818 on-base pct.; Ross Klawitter (Wisconsin-Whitewater) - .500 (10-20),
1 double, 2 home runs, 7 runs, 3 RBI, .850 slugging pct.; John Dailey (Linfield)
- .583 (7-12), 1 double, 2 home runs, 4 runs, 5 RBI, 1.167 slugging pct.
Honorable Mention Pitchers: Kevin Tomasiewicz (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 10.2 ip, 5 hits, 15 strikeouts; Brian Krost (Western Connecticut
State) · 1-0, 2.00 ERA, 9 ip, 2 hits, 10 strikeouts, no-hitter for 8.1 ip;
Zack Grove (Mount St. Joseph) · 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 10.2 ip, 3 strikeouts, no-hitter
vs. Defiance; Sam Mann (Washington & Jefferson) · 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 ip,
6 hits, 13 strikeouts; Zeke Boron (Delaware Valley) · 1-0, 3.70 ERA, 7.1
ip, 0 hits, 11 strikeouts, no-hitter vs. Penn State-Berks; Jordan Boyer
(Albright) · 1-1, 4.41 ERA, 10.2 ip, 7 hits, 2 strikeouts, no-hitter vs.
Lebanon Valley.
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