DALLAS (NCBWA) – Slugging first basemen Josiah Jones of East Texas Baptist University and John Corbin of Christopher Newport University, along with right-hander Robert Nordall of Lebanon Valley College, have been named the first 2005 NCAA Division III Co-National Hitters of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 28-March 6 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Jones, a junior from Fort Worth, Texas, hit .692 (9-of-13) with four home runs and 15 RBI to lead East Texas Baptist to a 4-0 week. Jones tore up Sul Ross State pitching in a three-game weekend series sweep, batting .700 (7-for-10) with three homers and 11 RBI. He hit the game-winning home run in the seventh inning of a 10-8 win on Friday, blasted a grand slam that broke the game open in the second inning of a 10-0 win on Saturday, and added a three-run shot in a 17-4 winner in the series finale. He also homered in a 16-0 win against Wiley College on March 1. Jones was the America Southwest Conference East Division Player of the Week.

Corbin, a junior from Williamsburg, Va., was instrumental in the Captains’ 6-1 week at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. He batted .739 (17-23), scored eight runs, had four doubles, and collected 14 RBI. He slugged .913, walked four times, did not strike out, had an on-base percentage of .778, and was 3-4 in stolen bases. His biggest games included a 3-for-3 game vs. Alma with three RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base, and a 3-for-3 game vs. Notre Dame (Ohio) in which he drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 7th. In CNU’s first game back home on Sunday vs. Johnson & Wales, he went 4-for-5 with a double, four RBIs, a run scored, and a stolen base.

Nordall, a senior from Lebanon, Pa., went 1-0 with one save, an 0.82 ERA, and 12 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched during Lebanon Valley’s spring break trip to Clearwater, Fla. He threw a three-hit, complete-game victory in the team’s 6-2 win over Clarke. In that game, he yielded only one earned run, walked three, and struck out six. Then, in the team’s 6-5 win over Concordia, he threw four innings of one-hit, scoreless ball and picked up a save. He walked only one and struck out six again. Nordall was the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Honorable mention hitters: Joseph Hapanionek (Dubuque) - .577 (15-26), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 10 runs, 15 RBI; Ron Weaver (Lebanon Valley) - .517 (15-29), 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 steals, 9 runs, 11 RBI.

Honorable mention pitchers: Adam Enloe (Texas Lutheran) – 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 12 ip, 11 strikeouts; Craig Reynolds (Adrian) – 1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9 ip, 7 hits, 10 strikeouts; Daniel Zeffiro (Kean) – 1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9 ip, 8 strikeouts.

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