DALLAS (NCBWA) – First baseman Jake Shandri of Wartburg College and starting pitcher Bill Dictus of Edgewood College have been named the first NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for 2007 as chosen by representatives of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for the week of Feb. 26-March 4.

Shandri, a senior from Urbandale, Iowa, hit .643 (9-for-14) with six doubles, seven RBI, five runs scored and a 1.071 slugging percentage in Wartburg’s first four games of the season. He went 3-for-7 in a doubleheader sweep of St. Mary’s ( Minn. ), including 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored in the opener, a 16-1 Wartburg win. In a doubleheader sweep of Wabash , he went 6-for-7 with five doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. In the opener (10-2), he was 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. In the nightcap, he went 5-for-5 with four doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Shandri was the Iowa Conference Player of the Week.

Dictus, a junior righthander from Combined Locks, Wisc., pitched a four-hit shutout in Edgewood ’s second game of the season against No. 12 Wisconsin-Whitewater on March 2. In his first start of the season, he pitched the entire seven innings, struck out two batters, walked one and hit one. He was able to keep the Warhawks scoreless after escaping a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning. Dictus was the Northern Athletics Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Honorable mention hitters: Daniel Vanaman (Rhodes) - .588 (10-17), 4 doubles, 9 runs, 9 RBI, .824 slugging pct.; Anthony Shallo (SUNY-Brockport) - .778 (7-9), 1 home run, 2 runs, 8 RBI, 1.111 slugging pct.; Mitch Kuczek (Transylvania) - .556 (5-9), 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 runs, 9 RBI, 1.444 slugging pct., Tyler Clay (Rockford) - .700 (7-10), 1 triple, 6 runs, 3 RBI, .900 slugging pct.; Justin Carter (Millsaps) - .533 (8-15), 2 doubles, 4 runs, .667 slugging pct.

Honorable mention pitchers: Andy Holt (Rhodes) - 2-0, 0.87 ERA, 10.1 ip, 1 cg, 8 hits, 12 strikeouts; Clint Johnston (McMurry) - 1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9 ip, 1 cg, 9 hits, 10 strikeouts; Ryan Snell (Whitworth) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 ip, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts.

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2007 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
• March 8: Jake Shandri, Wartburg (Hitter); Bill Dictus, Edgewood (Pitcher)
• March 15: Pete Moore, Moravian (Hitter); Lee Boyse, Coe (Pitcher)
• March 22: Rob Sumner, New Jersey City (Hitter); Jake Dennstedt, SUNY-Brockport (Pitcher)
• March 29: Jake Shandri, Wartburg (Hitter); Xander Jones, Ohio Wesleyan (Pitcher)
• April 5: Richard Hurd, Rhodes; Don Reinertsen, William Paterson; Kyle Sherman, Ohio Wesleyan (Hitter); Kyle Wewe, Thomas More (Pitcher)
• April 12: Josh Cardoso, Rhode Island College (Hitter); Bob Buskett, College of New Jersey (Pitcher)
• April 19: Adam Evanoff, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Hitter); Sam Heaps, Elizabethtown College (Pitcher)
• April 26: Jimmy Fernandez, Allegheny (Hitter); Tim Kiely, Trinity (Pitcher)
• May 3: Tim Rowe, Rockford College (Hitter); Peter Reyes, SUNY-Old Westbury (Pitcher)
• May 10: Tommy Schmidt, Lawrence (Hitter); Fabian Gomez, Rockford College (Pitcher)