CHICAGO (NBCWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the period ending March 10th.

Arbinger

Blanton

Hamer

Ohio senior outfielder Mike Arbinger earned the Hitter of the Week award, while Kentucky junior righthander Joseph Blanton and Matt Hamer of The Citadel share the Pitcher of the Week honors. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Arbinger, a native of Toledo, batted .619 in the Bobcats' five games this past week. He finished the week 13-for-21 at the plate with 13 runs scored, four home runs, four doubles and 11 runs batted in. The team's leading hitter with a .552 average on the season, Arbinger has two or more hits in six consecutive games. He capped this past weekend's four-game series against Columbia by going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored in the finale.

Blanton threw the Wildcats' first complete game of the season against Ball State on March 8, setting his career high in strikeouts for the third straight game, fanning 16 Cardinal batters. His 16 strikeouts (12 swinging, four looking) were the most for a Wildcat since current Montreal Expo Scott Downs set the single-game record with 18 on March 17, 1995 against Indiana. Blanton allowed only four hits and two walks in the victory.

Matt Hamer, a 6-0, 190-pound pitcher from Georgetown, S.C., posted three victories this past week, winning twice over Davidson and once against Coastal Carolina. Hamer posted a 0.84 earned run average over 10 2/3 innings pitched while striking out 16. Opponents batted only .114 against the hard-throwing right-hander as he allowed only four hits and one earned run in four appearances on the week. Hamer also combined on a one-hit shutout of Charleston Southern on Tuesday afternoon but earned a no decision in that game.

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.

2002 NCBWA Players of the Week:
• Feb. 5: Chad Corona, San Diego St. (Hitter); Ryan Schroyer, Arizona St. (Pitcher)
• Feb. 12: Shaun Larkin, Cal State Northridge (Hitter); Phillip Aragon, Nicholls St. (Pitcher)
• Feb. 19: Ryan Schade, Western Carolina (Hitter); Jared Theodorakos, Baylor (Pitcher)
• Feb. 26: Jesse Crain, Houston (Hitter); Shane Komine, Nebraska and Joe Linde, Eastern Michigan (Pitcher)
• Mar. 5: Jeff Cook, Southern Miss (Hitter); Eric Brandon, Auburn (Pitcher)
• Mar. 12: Mike Arbinger, Ohio (Hitter); Joseph Blanton, Kentucky and Matt Hamer, The Citadel (Pitcher)
• Mar. 19: Khalil Greene, Clemson (Hitter); Brad Halsey, Texas (Pitcher)
• Mar. 26: Shane Costa, Cal State Fullerton (Hitter); Brad Sullivan, Houston (Pitcher)
• Apr. 2: Jay Garthwaite, Washington (Hitter); Justin Simmons, Texas (Pitcher)
• Apr. 9: Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest and Jeremy Isenhower, Southwest Missouri State (Hitter); René Recio, Oral Roberts (Pitcher)
• Apr. 16: Jason Cooper, Stanford and Jesse Novalis, Lehigh (Hitter); Bryan Bullington, Ball State (Pitcher)
• Apr. 23: Brad Bauder, Virginia Tech (Hitter); John Tetuan, Wichita State (Pitcher)
• Apr. 30: Brent Boyd, Alabama (Hitter); Dan Scott, Sacred Heart (Pitcher)
• May 7: Matt Krimmel, George Washington (Hitter); Jeremy Rogelstad, San Jose State and Tom Wheeler, Rutgers (Pitcher)
• May 14: Paul McAnulty, Long Beach State (Hitter); Alex Hart, Florida (Pitcher)