DALLAS (NCBWA) A prodigious week by Joe Biagini of Webster University and a record-setting performance by Tim Flannery of Albright College have earned the two the ninth and next-to-last NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors for 2009, covering the week of April 20-26, as voted on by a panel of members from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Biagini, a freshman designated hitter from Glen Ellyn, Ill., hit .583 (14-for-24) with seven home runs and 21 runs batted in, with a slugging percentage of 1.542. The right-handed hitter also scored 12 runs as the Gorloks went 5-1 on the week. He homered in five straight games, including thee in one game vs. Eureka in which he went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and seven RBIs. He went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBIs vs. MacMurray, and 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs vs. Maryville (Mo.). He doubled and homered in three trips in the final Eureka game, a win which completed a perfect 24-0 conference record for Webster. Biagini was named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week.
Flannery, a senior southpaw from Mechanicsburg, Pa., broke the all-time season strikeout record at Albright in a 1-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader over Arcadia on Saturday, just one week after setting the schools all-time career strikeout record. He now has 73 strikeouts this season. In the win over Arcadia, he scattered four hits in a seven-inning complete game, walked none, and his 12 strikeouts against the Knights was a career best mark for him. He also threw two innings earlier in the week against Kutztown, allowing two hits and one unearned run with two strikeouts and no walks. In all, he pitched nine innings, allowing one unearned run on six hits and no walks, and fanned 14 batters. Flannery was named the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Honorable mention hitters: Chris Nastasi (Manhattanville) - .591 (13-22), 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 16 RBI, 11 runs, 1.136 slugging pct.; Justin Schwecke (Bethany Lutheran) - .652 (15-23), 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 16 RBI, 19 runs, 1.087 slugging pct.; Dan Sieracki (Widener) - .700 (7-10), 3 doubles, 6 RBI, 3 runs, 1.000 slugging pct.; Mike Nodzenski (Grinnell) - .450 (9-20), 3 home runs, 15 RBI, 9 runs, .900 slugging pct.; Kyle Johnson (Concordia MN) - .563 (9-16), 5 home runs, 11 RBI, 8 runs, 1.500 slugging pct.; Jordan Morgan (New England) - .455 (5-11), 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 5 runs, 1.545 slugging pct.; Ryan Miller (Wheaton IL) - .556 (5-9), 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 runs, .889 slugging pct.
Honorable mention pitchers: Andrew Cox (Mary Washington) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 4 hits, 5 strikeouts; Scott Wall (Pacific Lutheran) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts; Andrew LeBrun (Massachusetts-Boston) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 cg, 6 hit, 7 strikeouts; Ethan Guevin (Carleton) - 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 8.0 ip, 1 cg, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts; Tommy Brown (Washington & Jefferson) - 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 ip, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts; George Hickey (Dominican IL) - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 ip, 1 CG, 3 hits, 9 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)