DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 15.

UAB junior catcher Digger Towe was named National Hitter of the Week, while Missouri junior right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson 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. 

Towe finished the week with a .571 batting average (12-for-21) and a .600 on-base percentage, while striking out just once in 25 plate appearances. The Charlotte, Mich., native managed multiple hits and multiple RBI in five of UAB's six games as he helped the Blazers to a perfect 6-0 record over the past week. Towe tallied eight RBI in a two-game midweek series with UT Martin and added eight more in four games over the weekend with Harvard to finish the week with 16 RBI. He posted a 1.095 slugging percentage for the week as seven of his 12 hits went for extra bases on five doubles and two home runs. Towe also scored 10 runs on the week to have his hand in 26 UAB runs.

Gibson recorded his first career nine-inning shutout as Mizzou defeated then-No. 1 Texas, 2-0, last Saturday in the opener of the three-game series in Austin. The Greenfield, Ind., native struck out 11 batters and gave up six hits, improving to 3-1 on the year. Prior to last weekend's triumph, Gibson has had two seven-inning complete games in his career. Gibson has an ERA of 0.90 on the year, striking out 38 batters in 30.0 innings pitched.

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 fifth 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.

2009 Pro-Line Athletic Players of the Week:
• Feb. 24: Chris Kersten, Louisiana Tech (Hitter); Schaeffer Hall, Kansas (Pitcher)
• March 3: Kent Matthes, Alabama (Hitter); Ryan Berry, Rice and Brandon Workman, Texas (Pitcher)
• March 10: Daniel Hill, Murray State (Hitter); Wade Kapteyn, Evansille (Pitcher)
• March 17: Digger Towe, UAB (Hitter); Kyle Gibson, Missouri (Pitcher)
• March 24: Kyle Roller, East Carolina (Hitter); Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
• March 31: Rich Poythress, Georgia (Hitter); Cody Wheeler, Coastal Carolina (Pitcher)
• April 7: Brett Nommensen, Eastern Illinois (Hitter); Nolan Moody, Michigan State (Pitcher)
• April 14: Juan Martinez, Oral Roberts (Hitter); Brad Stillings, Kent State (Pitcher)
• April 21: Derek McCallum, Minnesota (Hitter); Alex White, North Carolina (Pitcher)
• April 28: Shane Brown, UCF and Jesse Sawyer, South Dakota State (Hitter); J.T. Ross, Northeastern (Pitcher)
• May 5: Justin Bour, George Mason (Hitter); Alex Wimmers, Ohio State (Pitcher)
• May 12: Greg Folgia, Missouri (Hitter); Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (Pitcher)
• May 19: Chris Hermann, Miami (Hitter); Justin Marks, Louisville (Pitcher)