April 9, 2015
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Adkins
260-982-5035
Lancaster Bible's Burns, Thomas More's Pogue honored
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NCBWA NAMES DIVISION III
NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (NCBWA) – Lancaster Bible College's Nate Burns fired the program's first no-hitter, while Thomas More College designated hitter Donovan Pogue turned in a meteoric plate performance that featured a 1.222 slugging percentage and 19 RBIs in route to Division III National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Player of the Week honors for the period of March 30- April 5.

Burns, a junior right-handed pitcher from Lancaster, Pa., gave up just three walks on the day while striking out 13 batters to round out the seven-inning, complete-game gem during a 16-0 win over Valley Forge March 30. The North Eastern Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week went on to add seven more strikeouts in another seven-inning outing against Gallaudet April 4, leaving him with 20 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA through a pair of starts on the week.

Pogue, a junior from Sharonville, Ohio, hit .667 (12-of-18) with two home runs, four doubles, 19 RBIs and nine scored last week, helping lead the Saints to a 5-0 record while extending their current win streak to 14 games. The Presidents Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week also walked four times and finished the week with a .696 on-base percentage and a 1.222 slugging percentage.

Honorable Mention Hitters: Aaron Caputo, Jr., C, Ohio Wesleyan: Had a record-setting week in leading the Bishops to a perfect 5-0 record. He opened the week by tying the program record for doubles in a game after cracking three in a 23-3 win over Wabash March 30, before eclipsing the school record for hits in a game after going 6-for-7 at the plate with four runs scored and three RBIs in OWU's 22-7 win over No. 6 Heidelberg April 1. In five total games on the week, Caputo hit .682 (15-of-22) with nine doubles, 11 runs scored and nine RBI for a 1.091 slugging percentage … Andrew Vandini, Jr., INF, Amherst: Helped lead the Jeffs to a 4-0 week as Amherst outscored its opponents 70-23 with two 20-plus run performances. The junior went 10-for-16 (.625) from the plate with a .727 on-base percentage and 1.125 slugging percentage. He totaled 16 RBIs in just four games, including eight in one game as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and two runs scored in a 20-10 win over Middlebury. Earlier in the week, Vandini drove in the game-winning run in a 10-9 win versus Bates. He finished the week with two home runs and six walks.

Honorable Mention Pitchera: Nate Weiss, Sr., RHP, Hiram: Was nearly perfect for the Terriers in an 8-0 win over Oberlin April 4. He completed the complete-game shutout by striking out nine and allowing just one hit and issuing just one walk in the 7.0 inning contest … Zack Lander, Sr., RHP, College of Brockport: Finished with a career-high 14 strikeouts for the most strikeouts in a single game since 2008 for Brockport to close out a series sweep against Oneonta March 30. Lander held the Red Dragons offense in check by keeping the hitters off balance, allowing only three hits and three walks during the complete game shutout.

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication and writing contests.

2015 NCBWA Division III Players of the Week:
Feb. 22: Connor Savage, Puget Sound (Hitter); Clayton Freimuth, Frostburg State (Pitcher)
March 8: Nick Bornhauser, Concordia (Hitter); Paul Henshaw, Kenyon (Pitcher)
March 15: Neal Krentz, Case Western Reserve (Hitter); Brandon Smalling, Earlham (Pitcher)
March 22: Jordan Nieman, Manchester (Hitter); Eric Morell, LaGrange (Pitcher)
March 29: Chase Burrow, Mary Hardin-Baylor (Hitter); Connor Alberhasky, Coe and Cason Adams, Texas-Tyler (Pitcher)
April 5: Donovan Pogue, Thomas More (Hitter); Nate Burns, Lancaster Bible (Pitcher)
April 12: Walker Breard, Cornell College (Hitter); Tyler Krolikowski, College of Mt. St. Vincent's (Pitcher)
April 19: Ban Sawyer, Alvernia and Conrad Ziemendorf, Cortland (Hitter); Conner Johnson, Castleton State (Pitcher)
April 26: Jeff Kammer, Webster (Hitter); Josh Outsen, St. Joseph's College (Pitcher)