DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on May 10. Lake Erie senior first baseman Cale Giddings is the National Hitter of the Week, while Findlay sophomore pitcher Colin Gossard is the National Pitcher of the Week.

Giddings (Pickerington, Ohio) recorded six home runs, 17 runs batted in on 16 hits and 12 runs scored to the tune of a .667 batting average on the week going 16-for-24 as the Storm went 4-2 to close out the year. During the week, Giddings record one five-hit game, one five-RBI contest and two games where he homered twice.

Gossard (Lima, Ohio) has been named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Pitcher of the Week in the final week of the regular season. The Lima, Ohio native earned the award following his start in the Oilers last game of the year, a 5-3 win over Ashland. In that contest, Gossard threw eight innings and allowed only one run on two hits and two walks. He struck out a career-high 12 batters and did not allow a runner past second base until the eighth inning. Gossard finishes the year second in the GLIAC with a 3.15 ERA.

Division II Regional Players of the Week:
• Atlantic: Dan Stoltzfus, Millersville (Hitter); Matt Festa, East Stroudsburg (Pitcher)
• Central: Bennett Oliver, Central Missouri (Hitter); Cody Hutchinson, Missouri Southern (Pitcher)
• East: Nick Perrelli, New Haven (Hitter); Matt Kostalos, St. Thomas Aquinas (Pitcher)
• Midwest: Cale Giddings, Lake Erie (Hitter); Colin Gossard, Findlay (Pitcher)
• South Central: Taylor Snyder, Colorado State-Pueblo; Luke Wiechec, West Texas A&M (Pitcher)
• West: Antonio Chavarria, California Baptist (Hitter); Tanner Johnson, Montana State Billings (Pitcher)

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.

2016 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
• Week ending Feb. 16: Brett Wilhelm, Lubbock Christian (Hitter); Brooks Trujillo, West Texas A&M (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 23: Andrew Vogelbaugh, Pittsburg State (Hitter); Guillaume Blanchette, Lubbock Christian (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 1: Blaise Warrick, Arkansas-Fort Smith (Hitter); Ben Criscuolo, Southern New Hampshire (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 8: Matt Piatt, Tampa (Hitter); Mark Delas, Findlay (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 15: Troy Sieber, St. Leo University (Hitter); Robbie Gordon, Maryville (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 22: Dylan Cook, Georgia College (Hitter); Logan Johnson, Fairmont State (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 29: Chance Bowden, Catawba (Hitter); Greg Stagani, West Liberty (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 5: Zach Hoffmann, St. Cloud State (Hitter); Placido Torres, Tusculum (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 12: Reese Gregory, St. Cloud State (Hitter); Tanner Herdt, Colorado Mesa (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 19: J.P Sorma, Ashland (Hitter); Mason Mayberry, Findlay (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 26: Alex Wojciechowski, Minnesota-Duluth (Hitter); Alex Kelley, Francis Marion (Pitcher)
• Week ending May 3: Aaron Krier, Wayne State (Hitter); Nikko Pablo, Northwest Missouri State (Pitcher)
• Week ending May 10: Cale Giddings, Lake Erie (Hitter); Colin Gossard, Findlay (Pitcher)