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March 5, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Mike Montoro 304-293-2821 |
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| Butler's Freed, South Carolina's Hopkins and Auburn's Burns honored |
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| NCBWA NAMES DIVISION
I NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK |
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DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 3. Butler junior outfielder Harrison Freed and South Carolina senior outfielder TJ Hopkins were named National Co-Hitters of the Week, while Auburn sophomore right-handed pitcher Tanner Burns 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. Freed batted .562 (9-for-16) in a 3-1 week for the Bulldogs with at least one hit in each of the four games. He added six runs, nine RBI, two doubles, a triple and a home run to his stat line with 1.000 slugging and .650 on-base percentage. The junior outfielder knocked in seven runs in a 21-7 offensive showing against St. Peter's, one RBI shy of tying the Butler record. Three of the four games were multi-hit games for Freed as he went 4-for-5 against the Peacocks, 2-for-4 in a 5-1 win against Central Michigan and 2-for-4 in a 10-5 against Hofstra. He crossed the plate in all four games and added two stolen bases. Hopkins hit three home runs and recorded 10 RBI to help lead South Carolina to three wins last week, including a series win vs. No. 19 Clemson. Hopkins earned the Tom Price Award, named for the Gamecocks' Most Valuable Player in the Clemson series, by hitting three home runs and driving in nine runs in the Palmetto Series win over the Tigers. Hopkins went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI in Sunday's win. Hopkins had a home run in each game of the weekend series. Burns turned in the first complete-game shutout in the SEC this season and the first of his career vs. Cincinnati. He matched the Auburn single-game record with 15 strikeouts in the series opener. Burns struck out a batter in eight of nine innings pitched and two or more batters in six innings, and he retired the first 11 batters he faced in the contest and faced just two batters over the minimum as he didn't issue a walk. 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, 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. 2019 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week: 2019 NCBWA Division I Players of the Month: |
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