National Collegiate Baseball Writers Feb. 8, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mike Montoro
601-266-5947
Elon's Rembert and ASU's Averill are season's first honorees
NCBWA NAMES PRO-LINE CAP
NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has released the Pro-Line Cap National Players of the Week for the period ending Feb. 6.

Elon senior outfielder Grant Rembert is the Hitter of the Week, while Arizona State junior LHP Erik Averill is the Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA board reviews candidates from each Division I conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Pro-Line Cap: The Choice of Champions.

Rembert batted .500 (4-for-8) with five runs scored, two doubles, a homer, six RBI, three walks, one hit-by-pitch and 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts in leading Elon to a three-game sweep of Southern Conference foe Wofford. The Hickory, N.C., native collected nine total bases and finished with a 1.125 slugging percentage for the week and had a .667 on-base percentage. In the field, he recorded four putouts for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Averill threw a complete-game shutout and collected a career-high 14 strikeouts in a 12-0 victory over New Mexico State. Averill scattered seven hits (six singles) and did not allow a runner past second base, while picking up his first win of the season and the 13th of his career. Of his 14 strikeouts, eight were looking, and he allowed only three fly balls. The complete-game shutout was the first by a Sun Devil since Jered Liebeck beat Long Beach State in 2003 to earn National Pitcher of the Week honors. His 14 strikeouts also were the most by a Sun Devil since Mike Esposito had 17 against Washington in 2002. For the season, Averill is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 13.0 innings, while not walking a batter.

With this week's honor, Averill automatically is named to the watch list for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the year and sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.

The Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Cap Co. supplies the official cap to more than 100 Division I college teams. This is the first season Pro-Line has sponsored the NCBWA's Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional consideration. For more information about Pro-Line, visit their website at www.prolinecap.com.

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 website, www.ncbwa.com.

2005 Pro-Line Cap Players of the Week:
Feb. 8: Grant Rembert, Elon (Hitter); Erik Averill, Arizona State (Pitcher)
Feb. 15: Scott Bridges, Arkansas (Hitter); Brian Bogusevic, Tulane (Pitcher)
Feb. 22: Drew Stubbs, Texas (Hitter); Taylor Fowler, Arkansas State (Pitcher)
March 1: Kurt Eichorn, Kent State (Hitter); Tyler Chambliss, Florida State (Pitcher)
March 8: Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech (Hitter); J.C. Biagi, Centenary (Pitcher)
March 15: Jeremy Slayden, Georgia Tech (Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU and Gib Hobson, N.C. State (Pitcher)
March 22: Alex Gordon, Nebraska (Hitter); Luke Hochevar, Tennessee (Pitcher)
March 29: Josh Rodriguez, Rice (Hitter); Brent Gaphardt, Delaware (Pitcher)
April 5: Mike Baxter, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Max Scherzer, Missouri (Pitcher)
April 12: Dusty Bensko, Illinois (Hitter); J. Brent Cox, Texas (Pitcher)
April 19: Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Adrian Alaniz, Texas (Pitcher)
April 26: Brandon Taylor, BYU (Hitter); Ricky Brooks, East Carolina (Pitcher)
May 3: Doug Beck, Utah (Hitter); Matt Maloney, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
May 10: J.R. Kyes, Illinois (Hitter); Brad Lincoln, Houston (Pitcher)
May 17: Justin Beam, Pacific (Hitter); Jeff Denlea, Hofstra (Pitcher)
May 24: Craig Cooper, Notre Dame and Adam Tucker, Birmingham-Southern (Hitter); Lance Broadway, TCU (Pitcher)

Related links:
Pro-Line Cap to sponsor NCBWA Players of the Week
Pro-Line Cap Player of the Week plaques

Pro-Line Athletic: The Choice of Champions.