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April 1, 2003 For Immediate Release Contact: Russ Anderson |
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| UNLV hurler tosses first MWC no-hitter | |||||
| NCBWA NAMES
NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK |
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CHICAGO (NBCWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the period ending March 30.
Miami (Fla.) freshman first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Braun was named the National Hitter of the Week, while UNLV freshman RHP Matt Luca won 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. Braun went 9-for-19 (.474) during the week of March 24-30 with two home runs and 12 RBIs, powering the Hurricanes' lineup that went 4-0 last week, including a three-game sweep of No. 2 Georgia Tech. Braun went 7-for-13 against Georgia Tech with nine RBIs, two home runs and two doubles. In the series opener against Tech, he collected three hits and three RBIs, including the game-winning two-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Braun went 1-for-3 with an RBI in game two on Saturday as UM cruised to a 13-8 win. Braun paced Miami's outburst on Sunday with a 3-for-5 performance, including a tape-measure three-run home run to left field in the third inning. His five RBIs on Sunday was a career high. Luca tossed the first-ever no-hitter in Mountain West Conference history and the first by a UNLV pitcher since since 1990 in a 5-0 win over San Diego State on March 28. He tallied a career-high 11 strikeouts and walked just two in picking up his second collegiate victory. 2003 NCBWA Players of the Week:• Feb. 4: Ryan Baty, Kansas (Hitter); Jered Liebeck, Arizona State (Pitcher) • Feb. 11: Jonny Kaplan, Tulane (Hitter); Wes Littleton, Cal State Fullerton (Pitcher) • Feb. 18: Travis Metcalf, Kansas (Hitter); Sean Rierson, Arizona (Pitcher) • Feb. 25: C.J. Smith, Florida (Hitter); Kyle Sleeth, Wake Forest (Pitcher) • March 4: Jeff Cook, Southern Miss (Hitter); Alan Johnson, Mississippi State (Pitcher) • March 11: Ronnie Prettyman, Cal State Fullerton (Hitter); Jeff Garner, Central Michigan (Pitcher) • March 18: Anthony Raglani, George Washington (Hitter); Jarrett Gardner, Arkansas (Pitcher) • March 25: Michael Aubrey, Tulane (Hitter); Tom Robbins, Southwest Texas (Pitcher) • April 1: Ryan Braun, Miami, Fla. (Hitter); Matthew Luca, UNLV (Pitcher) • April 8: Mike DeLorenzo, Saint Joseph's (Hitter); Wade Townsend, Rice and Dennis Bigley, Oral Roberts (Pitcher) • April 15: Matt Lauderdale, College of Charleston (Hitter); Scott Lewis, Ohio State and Greg Prenger, Ohio State (Pitcher) • April 22: Neil Sellers, Eastern Kentucky and Taylor Eckel, Toledo (Hitter); Glen Perkins, Minnesota (Pitcher) • April 29: Jordan Foster, Lamar (Hitter); Stephen Head, Ole Miss (Pitcher) • May 6: Ryan Garko, Stanford and Mike Costello, Towson (Hitter); Matt Torra, Massachusetts (Pitcher) • May 13: Phil Rothkugel, Central Connecticut (Hitter); Jered Weaver, Long Beach State (Pitcher) |
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