CHICAGO (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the
Week awards for the period ending March 7.
Southern Miss senior outfielder Ryan Frith and Ole Miss first
baseman Stephen Head have been named National Co-Hitters of the Week,
while LSU freshman LHP Clay Dirks and Kansas State senior RHP
Jim Ripley 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.
Frith led Southern Miss to a 5-0 mark on the week, including the Cox
Communications/Lake Area Classic championship crown. The senior went 12-for-24
(.571) with two doubles, 11 runs scored and registered back-to-back games
with a home run twice, totaling four long balls over the week. Frith collected
26 total bases for a slugging percentage of 1.238, while picking up 10 RBI.
In the game against No. 33 Oklahoma State, the Baton Rouge, La., native
went 4-for-6, with four runs, a double, a home run and four RBI.
Head set a school record when he reached base safely in 16 consecutive
plate appearances (nine hits, seven walks) dating back from the ninth inning
of last Sundays game at South Alabama through his first plate appearance
in Saturday·s nightcap against Eastern Illinois. He finished the week, 9-for-15
(.600) with four home runs, 11 RBIs, 11 runs scored and also drew seven
walks in five games. The sophomore from Raymond, Miss., recorded a four-RBI
game in the 15-6 win over Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday and in the
18-10 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday.
Ripley took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out a career-high
10 batters as Kansas State knocked off Alabama, 2-1, Sunday for its sixth
straight win. The one-hitter by Kansas State was the first since Casey Cook
and Jon Oiseth one-hit Bethany on April 30, 1997. The senior who hails from
Ajax, Ontario, was masterful in his second outing of the season, retiring
18 of the first 19 batters he faced, including 17 in a row. A hit batsman
was the lone blemish until Bushs single in the seventh. A leadoff walk
by Ripley in the eighth chased the senior as Eric Rollins took over. Ripley
finished with seven innings pitched and gave up one run, struck out a career-high
10 batters and walked just one batter.
Dirks fired a complete-game shutout in only his third collegiate start
against No. 8 Tulane, leading LSU to a 6-0 victory. The freshman from Hernando,
Miss., limited the Green Wave to no runs on four hits in nine innings with
one walk and seven strikeouts. He allowed just two Tulane runners to advance
to second base and retired 20 of the final 22 batters he faced.
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)