DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending April 8. N.C. State senior first baseman/outfielder Ryan Pond was named National Hitter of the Week, while Washington junior left-handed pitcher Nick Haughian 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.

A senior from Chesapeake, Va., Pond paced the team with a .600 batting average and helped NC State finish the week 5-0. In the series sweep over Wake Forest, he hit .545 with six hits in 11 at-bats, five RBI, and a pair of doubles. Pond also turned in a stellar performance against Elon last Wednesday. The first baseman/outfielder recorded four hits, four RBI, three runs, a double and a home run as the Wolfpack shut out the Phoenix, 12-0. He also had a pair of hits and an RBI in a 4-3 win at No. 24 East Carolina last Tuesday. For the week, Pond collected 12 hits, six runs, 11 RBI, three doubles, two walks and one home run. He was named ACC Player of the Week for his performance the week of April 1-6.

Haughian, from Mountain View, Calif., threw a complete game, two-hit shutout in the Huskies 1-0 win over 18th-ranked Arizona last Friday at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. He only allowed two base hits and three walks while shattering his old career-high with 15 strikeouts.

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

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