DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on April 3. Southwestern Oklahoma State senior designated hitter Enzo Bonventre is the National Hitter of the Week and Wingate redshirt-junior righty Brody McCullough is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Bonventre (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Newman) produced a .684 on base percentage and a 1.818 slugging percentage as the Bulldogs went 3-1 on the week. He homered in a 12-5 win against Cameron. Against East Central, he went 5-for-9 with nine RBI. In game one, he hit three home runs, including a go-ahead, three-run shot in the seventh followed by a grand slam in the eighth inning.
McCullough (Lexington, N.C./Sheets Memorial Christian HS) led defending national champion and No. 2 Wingate to a 14-2 victory over UVA-Wise, striking out 17 in just 6.1 innings of work, allowing two singles without giving up a run on the night. McCullough threw 89 pitches, with 61 strikes. A total of 17 of the 19 outs recorded came via strikeout. His first eight outs were strikeouts, striking out the side in the first and second before a flyout ended the third. McCullough struck out the side in the fourth, then allowed a leadoff single in the fifth, which he followed by striking out three-straight. After a groundout and walk in the sixth, McCullough notched his 15th and 16th strikeouts. He needed just three pitches in the top of the seventh to punch out his 17th batter of the night.
Division II Regional Players of the Week:
• Atlantic: Bryce Jackson, Frostburg State (Hitter); Eric Sapp, Gannon (Pitcher)
• Central: Enzo Bonventre, Southwestern Oklahoma State (Hitter); RJ Martinez, Minot State (Pitcher)
• East: Lou Antos, Queens (N.Y.) (Hitter); Jack Choate, Assumption (Pitcher)
• Midwest: Alex Steinbach, McKendree (Hitter); Jack Kroeger, Maryville (Pitcher)
• South: Hayden Cooper, Delta State (Hitter); Dawnson Lane, Florida Southern (Pitcher)
• South Central: Jared Brown, New Mexico Highlands (Hitter); Aaron Munson, Angelo State (Pitcher)
• Southeast: Marek Chlup, North Greenville (Hitter); Brody McCullough, Wingate (Pitcher)
• West: Grady Morgan, Chico State (Hitter); Baxter Halligan, Point Loma (Pitcher)
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