DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending May 22. Alabama State senior outfielder Dillon Cooper was named National Hitter of the Week, while Missouri State senior right-handed pitcher Sam Perez 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.

Cooper hit .714 for the week (10-for-14), with five doubles, three home runs, nine runs scored and drove in 14 runs, helping the Hornets win the Southwestern Athletic Conference title. The SWAC tournament most valuable player also scored nine runs and stole two bases. The Palm Bay, Florida native capped off a week to remember by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI against Texas Southern in the championship game. The Hornets set a school record going 28-0 in conference play this season.

Perez played prominent roles in three of the Bears’ four wins last week, piling up 17 strikeouts, while scattering just seven hits over 10.0 combined scoreless innings of relief. In Tuesday’s road win at Arkansas, Perez tossed 3.0 innings of hitless relief to earn his 18th career victory, as part of a combined one-hitter in an 8-2 decision that completed a season sweep of the SEC power.

The right-hander also fanned a season-high nine hitters over 4.2 innings Thursday vs. Illinois State, surpassing MSU’s single-season record for mound appearances in the process. The Branson, Missouri, native came back in Saturday’s series finale to allow only three base runners in his 2.1 innings to help MSU complete a sweep of the Redbirds.

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 NCBWA Division I National Players of the Week, contact NCBWA Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro at West Virginia University at 304-293-2821.

2016 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
• Feb. 21: Jeren Kendall, Vanderbilt (Hitter); Zach Muckenhirn, North Dakota (Pitcher)
• Feb. 28: Brandon Gutzler, Murray State (Hitter); Logan Shore, Florida (Pitcher)
• March 6: Darik Hall, Dallas Baptist (Hitter); Lucas Humpal, Texas State (Pitcher)
• March 13: Joe Cronin, Boston College (Hitter); Jesse Scholtens, Wright State (Pitcher)
• March 20: John Jones, South Carolina (Hitter); Seth Romero, Houston (Pitcher)
• March 27: Tyler Chadwick, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Ryan Hingst, Arizona State (Pitcher)
• April 5: Tanner Kirwer, Niagara (Hitter); Andrew Wantz, UNCG (Pitcher)
• April 12: Michael Davis, Texas Tech (Hitter); Zac Gallen, North Carolina (Pitcher)
• April 19: Greg Guers, Penn State (Hitter); Shane McCarthy, Seton Hall (Pitcher)
• April 26: Logan Gray, Austin Peay (Hitter); Cody Sedlock, Illinois (Pitcher)
• May 3: J.B Woodman, Ole Miss (Hitter); Chad Donato, West Virginia (Pitcher)
• May 10: Brandon Soat, IPFW (Hitter); Kyle Simonds, Texas A&M (Pitcher)
• May 17: Blake Benefield, Middle Tennessee (Hitter); Eric Lauer, Kent State (Pitcher)
• May 24: Dillon Cooper, Alabama State (Hitter); Sam Perez, Missouri State (Pitcher)

2016 NCBWA Division I Players of the Month:
• February: Taylor Braley, Southern Miss (Hitter); Brendon McKay, Lousiville (Pitcher)
• March: Seth Beer, Clemson (Hitter); Seth Romero, Houston and Clarke Schmidt, South Carolina (Pitcher)
• April: Hunter Melton, Texas A&M (Hitter); Will Hibbs, Lamar (Pitcher)
• May: Daniel Johnson, New Mexico State (Hitter); Dakota Hudson, Mississippi State (Pitcher)