DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on February 25, 2024. Colorado State-Pueblo senior outfielder Christian Casteneda is the National Hitter of the Week and Georgia Southwestern senior righty Nick McCollum is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Casteneda (El Paso, Texas / Otero JC) had quite the week at the plate for the ThunderWolves as he hit .588. posted an on-base percentage of .682 and slugged 1.882, along with posting an OPS of 2.564. For the week, he had 10 hits, scored 11 runs, had 16 RBI, hit four doubles, six home runs, walked four times and was hit a pitch once. He recorded at least three hits in three of the Pack's four games and had four or more RBI in three games, including tying a single game school record with 8 RBI in the series finale against CCU on Sunday. He opened the week with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with four runs scored and tied a school record with three home runs and had four RBI in a 16-6 win at UCCS and then went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double in a 9-1 win over CCU in the series opener. In the second game of the series, he was 3-for-6 with three runs scored, 4 RBI, two doubles, one home run in a 19-12 win over CCU and then concluded the series against CCU on Sunday by going 3-for-3 at the plate with four runs scored, a school-record tying eight RBI, one double and two home runs, including a grand slam in the bottom of the third to give the Pack an 11-0 lead. The Pack would win the game, 26-8. In the three-game series against CCU, he hit .583 with seven hits, seven runs scored, four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and slugged 1.667 and had an OPS of 2.355 for the weekend.
McCollum (Richmond Hill, Ga. / Richmond Hill HS) was masterful in his lone start last week against #4 Indianapolis. He went seven innings, allowing three hits, no walks and no runs to score as GSW won the game 5-1. He struck out 11 as he improved to 3-0 on the season. After UIndy had a hit in each of the first three innings, McCollum struck out the side in order in the fourth to begin a streak of 12 retired batters in a row. He currently leads the PBC and NCAA Division II with 36 strikeouts on the season; he is also fourth in the league in ERA and fifth in opponent batting average.
Division II Regional Players of the Week
- Atlantic: Joe Kaleck, West Chester (Hitter); Michael Valente California (Pa.) (Pitcher)
- Central: Cal James, Saint Cloud State (Hitter); Owen Weadge, Sioux Falls (Pitcher)
- East: Jack McDonald, Wilmington (Hitter); Zach Brassill, Southern New Hampshire (Pitcher)
- Midwest: Brant Vanaman, Illinois-Springfield (Hitter); Brian Allen, Ohio Dominican (Pitcher)
- South: Mason Wilson, Rollins (Hitter); Dalton Neuschwander, West Florida (Pitcher)
- South Central: Christian Casteneda, Colorado State-Pueblo (Hitter); Jakub Rayfield, St. Edward’s (Pitcher)
- Southeast: David Lewis, North Greenville (Hitter); Nick McCollum, Georgia Southwestern (Pitcher)
- West: Kaden Kirshenbaum, Montana State Billings (Hitter); Max Patterson, Chaminade (Pitcher)
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2024 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week
Feb. 7: Ryan Ball, Lubbock Christian (Hitter, South Central); Cole Gayman, Missouri Southern (Pitcher, Central)
Feb. 14; C.D. White, Northeastern State (Hitter, Central); Jonathan Zayas, Northwest Nazarene (Pitcher, West)
Feb. 21; Karson Coffee, Pittsburg State (Hitter, Central); Hayden Jatczak, Saginaw Valley State (Pitcher, Midwest)
Feb. 28; Christian Casteneda, Colorado State-Pueblo (Hitter, South Central); Nick McCollum, Georgia Southwestern (Pitcher, Southeast)