ATLANTA (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Division III National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the period ending April 25.

Jeff Coté of SUNY-New Paltz was named National Hitter of the Week, while Tom O'Connor of Ithaca College (N.Y.) was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA reviews candidates from Division III conferences each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Coté hit .625 (15-for-24) with four doubles, a triple, a home run, 13 RBIs, 10 runs scored and a slugging percentage of 1.000 in the Hawks' 2-3-1 week. In an 11-8 victory over Mount St. Mary (N.Y.), Coté went 4-for-4 and hit for the cycle with four runs and five RBI. In an 11-2 win over SUNYIT, he went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Coté leads the team with a .467 average, three triples and a .787 slugging percentage. He also was selected Hitter of the Week by the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

O'Connor won a pair of complete-game efforts, throwing 22 innings and posting a 0.82 earned run average for the ninth-ranked Bombers. He blanked SUNY-Brockport 1-0 on Tuesday and threw a 13-inning complete game (14 H, 5 BB, 6 SO) to defeat St. John Fisher (N.Y.) 3-2 on Sunday. O'Connor struck out 10 hitters and his win over Brockport was his second nine-inning 1-0 shutout of the season. The junior set a school record with his 13-inning performance on Sunday and his 11 fielding assists tied the national record for a Division III pitcher. He also was selected Pitcher of the Week by the Empire 8 Athletic Conference.

Honorable Mention: Aaron Port, Wartburg (Iowa), Jason Smith, Gwynedd-Mercy (Pa.) (Hitter); Shawn Mahoney, SUNY-Brockport, Brad Shelton, Elmhurst (Ill.) (Pitcher).

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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-American awards, publication and writing contests.

2004 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
• March 9: Sean Scott, Menlo (Hitter); Nathan Soyer, Rose-Hulman (Pitcher)
• March 16: Jonathan Thomas, New Jersey City (Hitter); Adam Huron, Haverford and James Halle, Louisiana College (Pitcher)
• March 23: James Morgan, East Texas Baptist (Hitter); Chris Lynn, Kenyon (Pitcher)
• March 30: Geoff Neese, Dickinson (Hitter); Jeff Gogal, Montclair State (Pitcher)
• April 6: Ian Houze, DeSales (Hitter); Scott Hyde, George Fox (Pitcher)
• April 13: Rob Blackburn, Montclair State (Hitter); Kyle Rensing, Blackburn (Pitcher)
• April 20: J.R. Estes, Bridgewater (Hitter); Jeremy Hinderks, Concordia College (Pitcher)
• April 27: Jeff Coté, SUNY-New Paltz (Hitter); Tom O'Connor, Ithaca College (Pitcher)
• May 4: Mike Cohan, DeSales (Hitter); Julius Jenkins, The College of New Jersey (Pitcher)
• May 11: Bryant Rogness, Gustavus Adolphus (Hitter); Dale Koler, Baldwin-Wallace (Pitcher)