DALLAS (NCBWA) – Conjuring up images of famous major leaguers Babe Ruth and Johnny VanderMeer, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has announced its eighth NCAA Division III National Players of the Week for the 2006 season, outfielder Danny Ruth of Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, Texas) for Hitter of the Week and double no-hit right-hander Alex Chapple of Aurora University (Aurora, Ill.) for Pitcher of the Week for games of April 17-23.

Ruth, a junior playing in his home town of Abilene, hit like his namesake with a remarkable weekend for the Cowboys, falling a home run short of hitting for the cycle in back-to-back games. He went 9-for-12 (.750) over the weekend with 9 runs scored, 2 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 8 RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.500 as the Cowboys swept Sul Ross State University to earn a first-round home game in the American Southwest Conference Championship Series. He hit for the cycle in the second game on Saturday - and it all came in the first four innings. He leads the ASC in triples with six on the year. Ruth was the ASC West Division Hitter of the Week.

Chapple, a senior from Yorkville, Ill., emulated a feat achieved only by VanderMeer in the major leagues when he threw back-to-back no-hitters against Concordia University (Ill.) on April 15, then stymied Benedictine University (Ill.) on April 22. In the Benedictine game, he allowed no runs, no hits, walked one, hit one batter, and struck out 10. He currently has a scoreless streak of 23 innings with three straight complete-game shutouts. He is 4-0 in Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference action with a 0.60 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and 10 hits allowed in 30 innings pitched, and 6-1 overall with a 1.76 ERA, 47 strikeouts, and 25 hits allowed in 46 innings.

Honorable mention hitters: Sammy Hall (Ohio Wesleyan) – .500 (7-14), 6 runs, 10 RBI, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 1.286 slugging pct.; Blake Bullis (College of New Jersey) – .600 (6-10), 9 runs, 8 RBI, 3 home runs, 3 steals, 1.500 slugging pct.; Matt Kleine (DePauw) – .667 (10-15), 7 runs, 7 RBI, 3 doubles, .867 slugging pct.; Terence Mull (Misericordia) – .714 (10-14), 7 RBI, 1 double, 1 triple, .928 slugging pct.; Justin Gordon (Emory) – .643 (9-14), 4 runs, 6 RBI, 2 doubles, .786 slugging pct.; Aaron Madson (Gustavus Adolphus) – .571 (12-21), 9 runs, 7 RBI, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 1.095 slugging pct.

Honorable mention pitchers: Brian Spicer (Gettysburg) – 1-0, 0.0 ERA, 9 ip, 6 hits, 17 strikeouts; Mark Moriarty (St. Scholastica) – 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 14 ip, 6 hits, 26 strikeouts; Michael Vicaro (Montclair State) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 ip, 3 hits, 11 strikeouts; Matt Kutz (Elizabethtown) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 ip, 1 hits, 10 strikeouts; Todd Mathison (St. Olaf) – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 ip, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts.

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For more information on the NCBWA Division III Players of the Week, contact Blair Cash at George Fox University at 503-554-2926.