DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending Feb. 23. North Carolina sophomore first baseman/outfielder Dustin Ackley was named National Hitter of the Week, while Ole Miss junior right-hander Lance Lynn was named National Pitcher of the Week.

The NCBWA board reviews candidates from each Division I conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Ackley recorded at least three hits in each game as No. 2 North Carolina picked up three road wins against FAU to start the season. The sophomore from Walnut Cove, N.C., compiled a .714 batting average for the week and posted three home runs, seven RBIs and scored five runs. He belted a pair of solo shots in Friday's 7-1 win and added a three-run blast in Sunday's series finale for six home runs in his last seven games, dating back to last year's College World Series.

Lynn tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts in his 5.0 innings pitched against Minnesota in game one of the weekend series. He fanned the first eight batters of the game as Minnesota did not get a batter on base until the fourth inning. Lynn held the Golden Gophers, who were picked to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten, to a .118 batting average as the Rebel pitching staff combined to strikeout 21 in the game.

Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Athletic supplies the official cap to more than 100 Division I college teams and official uniforms and team wear to six Division I college teams. This is the fourth 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 Web site at prolineathletic.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 Web site, www.ncbwa.com.

For more information on the Pro-Line Athletic Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.

2008 Pro-Line Athletic Players of the Week:
• Feb. 26: Dustin Ackley, North Carolina (Hitter); Lance Lynn, Ole Miss (Pitcher)
• March 4: Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky (Hitter); Barry Bowden, Southern Miss and Joey Seal, Norfolk State (Pitcher)
• March 11: Aaron Murphree, Arkansas (Hitter); David Coulon, Arizona (Pitcher)
• March 18: Tyler Kuhn, West Virginia (Hitter); Ricky Bowen, Mississippi State (Pitcher)
• March 25: Mike McKenna, Florida Atlantic (Hitter); Aaron Crow, Missouri (Pitcher)
• April 1: Alan Ahmady, Fresno State (Hitter); Brandon McClurg, Lipsomb and Josh Romanski, San Diego (Pitcher)
• April 8: Ryan Pond, N.C. State (Hitter); Nick Haughian, Washington (Pitcher)
• April 15: Jacob Priday, Missouri (Hitter); Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
• April 22: Dexter Fontenot, Louisiana-Monroe (Hitter); Christopher Manno, Duke (Pitcher)
• April 29: Ty Wright, Georgia Southern (Hitter); Chris Hernandez, Miami (Pitcher)
• May 6: Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville State (Hitter); Kenn Kasparek, Texas (Pitcher)
• May 13: David Anderson, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Andrew Liebel, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
• May 20: Jeremie Tice, College of Charleston (Hitter); Scott Swinson, Maryland (Pitcher)

Related link:
• Pro-Line Athletic Player of the Week plaques