DALLAS (NCBWA) Alvernia's Ben Sawyer and Cortland's Conrad Ziemendorf were nearly identical in their weekly offensive numbers, while Castleton State's Conner Johnson registered a no-hitter, leading the trio to Division III National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Player of the Week accolades for the period of April 13-19.
Johnson, a junior from Castleton, Vt., made the most of his first start of 2015. His second career no-no led the Spartans to a 1-0 victory over Colby-Sawyer in extra innings April 15. The North Atlantic Conference Pitcher of The Week faced 27 batters in eight innings of work with just two walks, while striking out five to pick up his first win of the season.
Sawyer, a senior infielder/outfielder from Matawan, N.J., had just as meteoric numbers as Ziemendorf. The Middle Atlantic Freedom Hitter of the Week recorded a .636 batting percentage, going 14-for-22 at the plate with 12 runs scored and 15 RBIs. He had seven doubles on the week and a stretch of four-straight games with at least one double. Sawyer hit a grand slam in a home win over Lebanon Valley and a 3-run home run in a home win over Albright. He hit safely in all six games with four multi-hit games.
Ziemendorf, a junior outfielder from Penfield, N.Y., batted .632 (12-for-19) with two homers, four doubles, a triple, 14 RBIs, 13 runs scored, a .741 on-base percentage and 1.263 slugging percentage in a 6-0 week for the top-ranked Red Dragons. The State University of New York Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week opened the stretch by going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, four RBIs, three runs and hit-by-pitch in a 15-2 win at Fredonia. The next day he reached base in all six plate appearances (homer, single, three walks, HBP), drove in three and scored three times in a 12-0 win at Fredonia. In a three-game sweep of Oneonta at home, Ziemendorf was a combined 7-for-11 with a homer, three doubles, seven RBIs and six runs, highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance with three RBIs in the final game.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Derek Hendrixson, So., RHP, Heidelberg: The closer had a seamless transition to a starting role, pitching a complete-game shutout of #24 John Carroll (7-hitter, 0 walks, 6Ks) April 14 in his first start of the year. He followed that up by carrying a perfect game into the 8th inning of a 12-0 win over Wilmington April 18, allowing just 1 hit in 8 innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Tommy DePaul, So., OF, DeSales: Had a batting average of .550 with 14 runs scored and 13 stolen bases to lead the Bulldogs to a 6-1 record last week. He scored a run in each of his six starts this week and was 13-for-13 in stolen bases. He went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and four stolen bases against Lebanon Valley College, and April 19 tied an NCAA Division III record for stolen bases in a game with seven in game one of the doubleheader with King's.
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