DALLAS (NCBWA) Daniel Ward of Hendrix College had a big week at the plate while Tyler Seaman of Mississippi College threw his second no-hitter of the season as the two earned the seventh NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors for 2009, covering the week of April 6-12, as voted on by a panel of members from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Ward, a senior outfielder from Tacoma, Wash., was a combined 10-for-13 for a .769 average in Hendrixs 3-1 week while posting a 1.462 slugging percentage and a .778 on-base percentage (2.240 OPS). He drove in nine runs, scored seven runs, tallied a double and a triple and also hit a pair of two-run home runs on the week. He reached base all five times to the plate in a 17-3 win over Central Baptist with a triple, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch, scoring three runs, then doubled and drove in three in the second game of the twinbill. After going 3-for-4 in a loss to Austin, he went 4-for-5 in the second game, hitting two home runs with four runs scored and five RBIs in a 12-7 win. Ward was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
Seaman, a junior right-hander from Pascagoula, Miss., became the first repeater winner this season with a nine-inning gem that included seven strikeouts in an 11-1 win over American Southwest Conference East Division opponent Ozarks. He walked just two batters and allowed one run to cross the plate due to three errors in the first inning. He retired the final seven batters of the game. He has now allowed just seven hits and three earned runs in his last 24 2/3 innings of work, improving his record to 5-1 and lowering his earned run average to 3.12 with a league-leading .185 opponents batting average. He was the ASC East Division Pitcher of the Week. Seaman tossed his other no-hitter against Louisiana College, earning National Pitcher of the Week for March 9-15.
Honorable mention hitters: Jon Olla (Concordia WI) - .680 (17-25), 3 doubles, 16 RBI, 14 runs, .800 slugging pct.; Blake Berger (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) - .714 (15-21), 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs, 1.167 slugging pct.; Anthony DAlfonso (Southern Maine) - .536 (15-28), 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 19 RBI, 9 runs, 1.036 slugging pct.; David Ames (Carleton) - .778 (7-9), 3 steals, 4 RBI, .778 slugging pct.; Dustin Worthman (York PA) - .714 (15-21), 1 double, 4 RBI, 5 runs, 6 steals, .762 slugging pct.; James Geosits (Curry) - .500 (9-18), 4 home runs, 12 RBI, 8 runs, 1.167 slugging pct.; Jeff Toth (New Jersey) - .538 (7-13), 1 double, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 10 runs, 1.538 slugging pct.
Honorable mention pitchers: Travis Adams (Bethel MN) - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.0 ip, 1 cg, 6 hits, 12 strikeouts; Sean Alexander (Olivet) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 0 hits, 4 strikeouts; Sam Heaps (Elizabethtown) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 1 hit, 12 strikeouts; Adam Johnson (Concordia MN) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts; Robbie Hinkle (Monmouth IL) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts; Brendan Close (Moravian) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 4 hits, 6 strikeouts.
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-America awards, publication and writing contests.
2009 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
March 1: Jeremy Macklin, Texas Lutheran (Hitter);
D.J. Keckler, Wesley College and Matt Schuld, St. Thomas (Pitcher)
· March 8: Joel Chrobak, Franklin (Hitter);
Cody Boals, Elmhurst (Pitcher)
· March 15: Garrett Lamborn, Wesleyan (Hitter);
Tyler Seaman, Mississippi College (Pitcher)
· March 22: Cody Callahan, Keene State (Hitter);
Tim McMenamin, Gwynedd-Mercy (Pitcher)
· March 29: Thomas Phillips, MIT (Hitter); John
Lunardi, Susquehanna (Pitcher)
· April 5: Bo Bell, Mississippi College (Hitter);
Evan Michaud, Western New England (Pitcher)
· April 12: Daniel Ward, Hendrix (Hitter); Tyler
Seaman, Mississippi College (Pitcher)
· April 19: Ryan Pike, Southern Maine (Hitter);
Cory Collins, Curry (Pitcher)
· April 26: Joe Biagini, Webster (Hitter); Tim
Flannery, Albright (Pitcher)
· May 3: Richard Michelin, California Lutheran
(Hitter); Chuck Nicholas, Alvernia (Pitcher)