DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 2. Liberty junior infielder Ryan Seiz was named National Hitter of the Week, while Maryland senior right-handed pitcher Jake Stinnett 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.
Seiz, a junior from Perkasie, Pa., posted a .579 batting average with six runs, 11 hits and five RBI in five games, as Liberty recorded a 4-1 mark this past week. He posted a hit in all five games and collected three 3-hit games in his last four contests. The infielder had three doubles, one triple and his third home run of the season to post a 1.000 slugging percentage and also had a .609 on base percentage. On Sunday, he went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run in a win over Rider. He leads the Flames in batting average, runs, RBIs and home runs.
Stinnett threw Maryland's seventh no-hitter of all-time and the first in nearly six years (since Scott Swinson no-hit Delaware on May 13, 2008) in the Terrapins' 4-0 shutout of Massachusetts. It was Maryland's first no-hitter at home since five Terrapin pitchers combined to no-hit Coppin State on March 28, 2007. Stinnett only faced two batters over the minimum, both of whom walked. A native of Vista, Calif., Stinnett struck out nine batters for the week.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.
For more information on the NCBWA Division I National Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.
2014 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
Feb. 16: Skyler Ewing, Rice (Hitter); Jeremy Null, East Carolina (Pitcher)
· Feb. 23: A.J. Reed, Kentucky (Hitter); Reed Garrett, VMI (Pitcher)
· March 2: Ryan Seiz, Liberty (Hitter); Jake Stinnett, Maryland (Pitcher)
· March 9: Mac James, Oklahoma (Hitter); Javi Salas, Miami (Pitcher)
· March 16: Nic Wilson, Georgia State (Hitter); Heath Dwyer, VCU (Pitcher)
· March 23: Michael Katz, William & Mary (Hitter); Frankie Vanderka, Stony Brook (Pitcher)
· March 30: Clint Freeman, East Tennessee State (Hitter); Matt Imhof, Cal Poly (Pitcher)
· April 6: A.J. Reed, Kentucky (Hitter); Nathan Kirby, Virginia (Pitcher)
· April 13: Mitchell Tolman, Oregon (Hitter); Jordan Carter, St. Joseph's (Pitcher)
· April 20: Byron Campbell, UMES (Hitter); Jeff Hoffman, East Carolina (Pitcher)
· April 27: Auston Bausfield, Ole Miss (Hitter); Thomas Eshelman, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher)
· May 4: Casey Turgeon, Florida (Hitter); Jace Fry, Oregon State (Pitcher)
· May 11: Connor McVey, Cincinnati (Hitter); Matt Fraudin, Gardner-Webb (Pitcher)
· May 18: Kane Sweeney, Morehead State (Hitter); Ben Wetzler, Oregon State (Pitcher)