April 27, 2022
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kit Strief
229-333-5903
Maryville DH cracks 4 homers; St. Cloud State LHP tosses perfect game
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POLAK, TUPY ARE NCBWA
DIVISION II NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on April 24. Maryville graduate student designated hitter, Joey Polak is the National Hitter of the Week and St. Cloud State redshirt freshman lefty Luke Tupy is the National Pitcher of the Week.

Polak (Quincy, Ill./Missouri State) went 10 for 15 (.667) for the weekend and was a perfect 1.000 in the game two victory on Friday at Wheeling Jesuit. He homered four times for the week, including a multi-home run game in Friday’s victory, while also doubling twice for a slugging percentage of 1.600. He broke the school’s all-time career home run record with 28.

Tupy (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) etched his name in the record books, spinning the 28th perfect game in NCAA Division II history. He was perfect through seven frames, striking out 15 batters to record SCSU’s first no-hitter since 2013. He recorded just the sixth no-no since at least 1995 for SCSU. The 15 K’s marked the second-most in a single game in program history, trailing on Matt Jensen’s 17 versus MSU Moorhead in 1970.

Division II Regional Players of the Week:
• Atlantic: Assaf Lowengart, Mansfield (Hitter); Joe Sperone, West Chester (Pitcher)
• Central: Brock Reller, Northeastern State (Hitter); Luke Tupy, St. Cloud State (Pitcher)
• East: Tyler Wells, New Haven (Hitter); Andrew Francella, Bridgeport (Pitcher)
• Midwest: Joey Polak, Maryville (Hitter); Derek Clark, Northwood (Pitcher)
• South: Jacob Pajer, Shorter (Hitter); Nathan Madej, Florida Southern (Pitcher)
• South Central: Nick Wolff, Texas A&M-Kingsville (Hitter); Jack Eagan, West Texas A&M (Pitcher)
• Southeast: Paul Grazzini, Georgia College (Hitter); Jared Donalson, Georgia Southwestern (Pitcher)
• West: Mitch Winter, Montana State Billings (Hitter); Matthew Houlihan, Montana State Billings (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)
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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)