DALLAS (NCBWA) – The first perfect game in NCAA Div. III was tossed last week, a shortstop hit six home runs over a four-game span, and a rookie hit a grand slam for his first collegiate home run. Those were the performances recognized with this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III honors. This week's honorees were recognized for performances spanning March 7-13.
HITTER OF THE WEEK
Junior shortstop Joe Jimenez went off last week for Texas Lutheran University. The two-time Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week's career year continued with six home runs and 19 RBI during a 4-0 week for the Bulldogs. Jimenez slashed .647/.714/1.824 and went 11-for-17 at the dish. He matched a SCAC and program record with three home runs in a win over East Texas Baptist University on Saturday, March 12. It marked the 13th time in SCAC history a player has smashed three round-trippers in a single game. Jimenez had multiple hits in all four games last week and went 8-for-13 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and 10 runs scored during a three-game set with ETBU over the weekend.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Peter Cosentino, Sr., INF, Montclair State University (New Jersey) – New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week after leading team to a 3-0 week. Went 7-for-12 (.583) with 13 RBI, four doubles, two home runs, and six runs scored. Went 3-for-6 with three doubles and six RBI in a 17-2 win over Bridgewater State University (Massachusetts). In a doubleheader sweep of Eastern Nazarene College (Massachusetts), Cosentino went 4-for-6 with seven RBI.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Stockton University (New Jersey) junior Mike Schiattarella tossed a seven-inning perfect game with 14 strikeouts in a 9-0 blanking of Western New England University (Massachusetts) on Sunday, March 13. The NJAC Pitcher of the Week struck out the first eight batters he faced and later closed the door by fanning six of the last nine. Schiattarella earned his second win of the year, tossed his third complete game, and lowered his ERA to a minuscule 0.90. The junior has struck out 38 hitters in 20 innings and has recorded double-digit strikeouts in all three outings. Of note, his performance marked the 24th perfect game in NCAA Div. III history.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Ethan Sund, Sr., North Park University (Illinois) – College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Pitcher of the Week after totaling 16 strikeouts in a nine-inning, complete-game, 1-0 shutout of ninth-ranked University of Texas at Dallas on Sunday, March 13. Sund moved into second-place in program history for strikeouts in a game during his one-hitter. He has struck out 21 and allowed just one earned run in his last 15 innings, with both recent starts coming against top-10 opponents.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Haverford College's (Pennsylvania) Anthony Runfola was selected as the Centennial Conference Player of the Week after leading the Fords at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The first-year catcher recorded three two-hit games. He unleashed a two-homer, five-RBI game against Muskingum University (Ohio), which included a grand slam for his first collegiate home run. The round-tripper sparked a seven-run first inning, and he followed that up with a solo shot in the fourth inning. For the week, Runfola hit .636 (7-for-11) with two home runs, three runs scored, 10 RBI, and a .714 on-base percentage. He registered at least one RBI in all five contests.
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