DALLAS (NCBWA) – A five-homer week by right fielder Dan Wentzell of George Fox University (Ore.) and a two-hit shutout of the nation’s No. 1-ranked team by J.C. Reinke of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point have earned them the final 2005 NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week awards for May 2-8 from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Wentzell, a lefty-swinging sophomore from Tualatin, Ore., turned on the power during the defending national champion Bruins’ 3-3 week. After going 2-7 with two runs scored in a split of two games at No. 2 Chapman, he exploded in a four-game series vs. California State-East Bay, going 9-16 with 5 home runs. He had multiple hits in all four games, homering in each one, with two round-trippers in the second game of series and a 3-4 game with a double, home run, 3 runs scored and 5 RBI in the series finale. For the week, he batted .478 (11-23) with a double, 5 home runs, a 1.174 slugging pct., 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI.

Reinke, a sophomore southpaw from Bonduel, Wisc., picked up his second complete-game shutout in as many starts when he blanked the nation’s top-ranked team, Wisconsin-Whitewater, 10-0 on May 6. He held the Warhawks, the top-hitting team in the country, to just two hits over seven innings. He did not allow a runner past second base until there was one out in the seventh inning. He had seven strikeouts and surrendered just two walks. He was the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Wentzell and Reinke give their teams dual national award winners for the second and third times this season. George Fox’s Daniel Downs was a Co-Hitter of the Week for Mar. 21-27, while UW-Stevens Point’s Chuck Brehm was Hitter of the Week for Apr. 4-10. Wisconsin-Whitewater was the first team to have two players honored, with Eric Baldwin receiving Hitter of the Week for Mar. 28-Apr. 3 and Greg Reinhard earning Pitcher of the Week for Apr. 11-17.

Honorable Mention Hitters: Shawn Vanausdoll (Illinois College) - .563 (9-16), 1 double, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, 9 runs, 1.375 slugging pct.; Gerard Haran (College of New Jersey) – .450, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBI; Chris Cyronek (Simpson IA) – .688 (11-16), 1 double, 6 RBI, 4 runs, .750 slugging pct.; Josh Santry (Amherst) – .429 (9-21), 4 home runs, 7 RBI, 7 runs, 1.095 slugging pct.

Honorable Mention Pitchers: Josh Schwartz (Rowan) – 2-0, 1.00 ERA, 18.0 ip, 15 hits, 8 strikeouts, NCAA-record 35 straight wins; Rick Stromgren (Keene State) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 ip, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts vs. nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut; Chris Haddad (Salve Regina) – 2-0, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 ip, 8 hits; Kyle Limbach (Franklin) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 ip, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, school-record 20th win.

With most regular-season schedules completed and a few conference tournaments still being played, this is the final release for National Players of the Week. Voting will begin soon for Regional Hitters and Pitchers of the Year, and then a National Hitter and Pitcher of the Year will be selected.

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