DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 8. Coastal Carolina junior outfielder/catcher Alex Gattinelli was named National Hitter of the Week, while Central Arkansas junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone earned National Pitcher of the Week honors. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Gattinelli led the Chanticleers offense this past week by hitting .500 with nine base hits over 18 at-bats. He hit three home runs and drove in 13 RBI in five games, an average of 2.6 RBI per game. Gattinelli posted a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .526 on-base percentage, and also swiped a base. He started the week by going 2-for-4 with three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base in the midweek win over Charlotte. After getting just one at-bat in the loss to No. 7 NC State on Wednesday, Gattinelli bounced back to go 7-for-13 with 10 RBI and three home runs in the series win over Middle Tennessee. He drove in a career-high four RBI in the Friday night win, going 4-for-4 in the win. Gattinelli hit a three-run home run on Saturday before going 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored in the series-clinching win on Sunday.

A no-hitter from Central Arkansas junior RHP Gavin Stone earned him this week's NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week award. Stone, a right hander from Lake City, Ark., struck out a career-high 13 batters in UCA's 2-0 shutout of the Southeastern Louisiana Lions last Friday night in the conference opener. He faced one batter over the minimum and retired the final 14 batters of the game after his only walk of the game in the fifth inning. Following the walk, Stone struck out the final two batters of the inning. Stone's 13th strikeout was the last out in the ninth to seal just the third no-hitter in school history and first since 2013. He struck out eight of the nine Southeastern starters at least once, and one player three times. Stone struck out the side in the top of the third on 11 pitches and recorded a strikeout in every inning except the first when SLU had two fly balls and a ground out.

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.

2020 NCBWA Division I Players of the Week:
• Week ending Feb. 16: Nate Rombach, Texas Tech (Hitter); Alfredo Ruiz, Long Beach State (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 23: Tyler Kelder, St. Bonaventure (Hitter); Bryce Jarvis, Duke (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 1: HUnter Goodman, Memphis (Hitter); Dane Acker, Oklahoma (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 8: Alex Gattinelli, Coastal Carolina (Hitter); Gavin Stone, Central Arkansas (Pitcher)

2020 NCBWA Division I Players of the Month:
• February: Nick Gonzales, New Mexico State (Player); Brian Van Belle, Miami (Pitcher)