DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending February 1. Fort Hays State senior first baseman Derek Woolwine is the National Hitter of the Week and USC Aiken freshman right-hander Ben Shepherd is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Woolwine (Boulder, Colo. / Northeast (Neb.) CC) opened the season with a bang, posting a staggering .833/.857/1.917 slash line in a three-game series at Colo. Colorado Springs (UCCS). The senior finished the week 10-for-12 with seven extra-base hits, including four doubles and three home runs. He scored seven runs, drove in 10 RBI, stole a base, walked twice, and did not strike out in 14 plate appearances. Woolwine homered in all three games and recorded three multi-hit performances, including two four-hit outings. Following the opening weekend, he leads NCAA Division II in doubles and total bases, while ranking second in slugging percentage, third in batting average and on-base percentage, and fourth in both RBIs and home runs.
Shepherd (Trion, Ga. / Trion HS) etched his name into the USC Aiken record books by throwing the program’s second no-hitter in their Division II era in a 10-0 nightcap victory over Mars Hill. The freshman right-hander allowed just one walk and struck out five over 9.0 innings, throwing only 91 pitches. Shepherd recorded 15 fly-ball outs and seven groundouts in the historic outing. According to the NCAA, he is believed to be the first student-athlete to throw a no-hitter in his collegiate debut and the first to accomplish the feat on Opening Day.
Division II Regional Players of the Week
- Atlantic: Inactive (Hitter); Inactive (Pitcher)
- Central: Derek Woolwine, Fort Hays State (Hitter); Colby Deaver, Emporia State (Pitcher)
- East: Inactive (Hitter); Inactive (Pitcher)
- Midwest: Inactive (Hitter); Inactive Pitcher)
- South: Zach Stokes, West Florida (Hitter); Jacob Pino, Florida Tech (Pitcher)
- South Central: Garrett Brooks, St. Mary’s (Hitter); Tyler Schumann, Texas A&M-Kingsville (Pitcher)
- Southeast: CJ Dean, North Greenville (Hitter); Ben Shepherd, USC Aiken (Pitcher)
- West: Jack Sanders, Cal Poly Pomona (Hitter); Austin Balentine, Stanislaus State (Pitcher)
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-America awards, publication and writing contests.
2026 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week
Feb. 5: Derek Woolwine, Fort Hays State (Hitter); Ben Shepherd, USC Aiken (Pitcher)