DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending Feb. 27. Illinois-Springfield junior infielder Zion Pettigrew is the National Hitter of the Week and Kutztown junior pitcher Dominic Proietto is the National Pitcher of the Week.

Pettigrew (Chicago, Ill./Kirkwood CC) hit .714 (10-for-14) with a 1.548 slugging percentage and an .850 on-base average for the week. He drove in 14 and scored nine runs in four games with 20 total bases. Pettigrew connected on six extra-base hits, including two home runs and four doubles. Recorded multi-hit and multi-RBIs in each of the four games against Saginaw Valley State and scored at least one run in each game. He walked seven times for the series.

Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown HS) struck out 17 over seven hitless innings and combined with Paul Moretski to no-hit Alderson Broaddus in the Golden Bears' 4-0 victory Saturday evening. Proietto's 17 strikeouts were a career-high, the most by a Kutztown pitcher in the StatCrew era (since 1999) and believed to be the program's highest single-game total since Pete Riffle struck out 19 batters against Philadelphia Textile on April 20, 1966. It was also KU's first nine-inning no-hitter during the StatCrew era. The Norristown, Pa., native struck out the side in the first, third, sixth and seventh innings. Only two batters reached base against him, one on an error in the first and another on a walk in the seventh. For the season, Proietto leads the PSAC with 32 strikeouts and is currently sitting at a 20.4 K/9 rate through 14.1 innings pitched in three appearances.

Division II Regional Players of the Week:
• Atlantic: Keith Flaherty, West Chester (Hitter); Dominic Proietto, Kutztown (Pitcher)
• Central: Ben Prediger, University of Mary (Hitter); Seth Key, Northeastern State (Pitcher)
• East: Jayson Rodopoulos, Queens (N.Y.) (Hitter); Tommy Hughes, Southern Connecticut (Pitcher)
• Midwest: Zion Pettigrew, Illinois-Springfield (Hitter); Derrick Edington, Davenport (Pitcher)
• South: JD Urso, Tampa (Hitter); Travis Cole, Christian Brothers (Pitcher)
• South Central: Justin Lee, Angelo State (Hitter); Josh Danyliw, Colorado Mesa (Pitcher)
• Southeast: Cory Bivins, North Greenville (Hitter); Bennett Nance, Lander (Pitcher)
• West: Kyle Dobson, Chico State (Hitter); Collin Carriger, Academy of Art (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.

2022 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week:
• Week ending Feb. 6: Duncan Pastore, Nova Southeastern (Hitter); Justin Fuson, Fresno Pacific (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 13: Harrison Rodgers, Colorado Mesa (Hitter); Jack O'Brien, Hawaii Pacific (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 20: Brock Reller, Northeastern State (Hitter); Jeremy Adorno, Southern Arkansas (Pitcher)
• Week ending Feb. 27: Zion Pettigrew, Illinois-Springfield (Hitter); Dominic Proietto, Kutztown (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 6: Lewis Beals, Hillsdale (Hitter); Dylan Miller, Point Loma (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 13: Kade Self, Oklahoma Baptist (Hitter); Kannon Handy, Colorado Mesa (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 20: Sean Johnson, Belmont Abbey (Hitter); Lawson Isaacs, Central Oklahoma (Pitcher)
• Week ending March 27: Drey Dirksen, Augustana (Hitter); Mason Philley, Arkansas-Monticello (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 3: Enzo Bonventre, Southwestern Oklahoma State (Hitter); Brody McCullough, Wingate (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 10: Brennen van Breusegen, Central Missouri (Hitter); Dylan Brosky, California, Pa. (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 17: Caleb Stubbings, Colorado-Colorado Springs (Hitter); Colt Webb, Charleston (Pitcher)
• Week ending April 24: Joey Polak, Maryville (Hitter); Luke Tupy, St. Cloud State (Pitcher)
• Week ending May 1: Ben Gobbel, Belmont Abbey (Hitter); Jack Gonzales, Point Loma (Pitcher)
• Week ending May 8: Luke Folsom, Colorado School of Mines (Hitter); Thomas Jones, Rockhurst (Pitcher)