DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball
Writers Association released the 2018 NCAA Division II National
Players of the Week awards for the week ending on April
30. Northwest Missouri State junior second baseman Mondesi
Gutierrez is the National Hitter of the Week,
while Davenport (Mich.) junior lefty Grant Wolfram
is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Gutierrez, from San Diego, Calif., was a major factor in helping
the Bearcats go 4-0 on the week. In his four games, he batted .588
with ten total hits, ten runs scored, three doubles, one triple,
nine RBIs, and he hit three home runs. Gutierrez finished the weekend
slugging 1.412.
Wolfram, a native Hamilton, Mich., tossed his first career no-hitter
against Ashland. It was the first no-hitter at DU in six years and
Wolfram also struck out a DU record 13 batters in seven innings.
Wolfram allowed just two base runners with a first-inning walk and
he hit a batter in the third inning. He retired the final 13 batters
he faced and fanned the side in the seventh to set the record and
struck out eight in the final four innings. Wolfram needed just
95 pitches to reach the milestone and hit the strike zone with 65
pitches. Wolfram is 4-0 in his last four starts with a 1.67 ERA
with 45 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Division II Regional Players of the Week:
• Atlantic: Shane Dressler, West Chester (Hitter); David Cricks,
Gannon (Pitcher) • Central: Mondesi Gutierrez, Northwest Missouri
State (Hitter); Justin Clark, Southwest Minnesota State (Pitcher)
• East: Louis Antos, Queens (N.Y.) (Hitter); P.J. Browne, Merrimack
(Pitcher) • Midwest: Cody Birdsong, Qunicy (Hitter); Grant Wolfram,
Davenport (Pitcher) • South: Aaron Haughton, Valdosta State
(Hitter); Cas Silber, Montevallo (Pitcher) • South Central: Jordan
Stubbings, Colorado Mesa (Hitter); Blake Holub, St. Edward's (Pitcher)
• Southeast: Seth Hunt, Lincoln Memorial (Hitter); Ethan Elliott,
Lincoln Memorial (Pitcher) • West: Micah Pries, Point Loma (Hitter);
Casey Costello, Chico State (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.
2018 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
• Week ending Feb. 19: Austin Norman, Fairmont State (Hitter); Dillon Cate, Carson-Newman (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 26: Chance Bowden, Catawba (Hitter); Jumpei Akanuma, Lee University (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 5: Andrew Taft, LeMoyne (Hitter); Dan Wirchansky, Pace (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 12: Francisco Rodriguez, Tarleton State (Hitter); Kyle Leahy, Colorado Mesa (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 19: Zack Shannon, Delta State (Hitter); Josh Gaworski, Concordia-St. Paul (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 26: Nick Atkinson, Shepherd (Hitter); Adam Riggleman, Glenville State (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 2: Matt Honeycutt, Mars Hill (Hitter); Dalton Morrow, Southwest Baptist (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 9: Mikey Gangwish, Colorado School of Mines (Hitter); Kyle Flessner, Purdue Northwest (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 16: Ted DeSanti, Indiana, Pa. (Hitter); Ryan Murphy, LeMoyne (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 23: Griffin Baker, Belmont Abbey (Hitter); Clay Casey, Delta State (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 30: Mondesi Gutierrez, Northwest Missouri State (Hitter); Grant Wolfram, Davenport (Pitcher)
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