CHICAGO (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the
Week awards for the period ending April 4.
Washington State's junior outfielder Grant Richardson (Richland,
Wash.) has been named National Hitter of the Week, while Oral Roberts junior
righthander Dennis Bigley (Lancaster, Texas) was named National Pitcher
of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference
each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Last week's four games, including a game against Gonzaga and the three-game
series against Birmingham-Southern, Richardson hit .583, going 7-for-12,
scoring six runs and driving in 12. Richardson went "yard" five times in
the four games, including two games with two home runs. His first multiple
home run game of the week, Tuesday, was the first in his WSU career; his
second multiple home run game came on Sunday in a 16-4 victory of BSC to
complete the three-game sweep at Bailey-Brayton Field.
Of the 12 runs batted in for the week, seven of the runs came on home
runs. His three-run home run in the ninth inning against Gonzaga, started
a seven run inning to capture the 13-11 victory. Overall, Richardson hit
two solo shots, a pair of two-run home runs and a three-run home run. Overall
for the week, Richardson recorded a slugging percentage of 1.833. He was
walked three times and plunked four times, helping to provide him with an
on-base percentage of .700 for the week.
Bigley fired the first no-hitter at Oral Roberts since 1986 in an 8-0
seven-inning win over Chicago State. He faced the minimum 21 batters in
the game, retiring the first 16, before hitting a batter with one out in
the sixth inning (he was retired on a double play). Bigley struck out 12
batters in his second shutout of the season and allowed only four balls
out of the infield (all fly outs to the center fielder). His performance
improved his record to 5-1 on the season, gave him his fifth Mid-Con Pitcher
of the Week honor of the season, and lowered his ERA to 1.96.
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)