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From Staff Reports

 

DALLAS, TX – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on March 28, 2021. Georgia Southwestern State University senior outfielder Jonathan Martin is the National Hitter of the Week and Metropolitan State University of Denver senior Cade Crader is the National Pitcher of the Week, as both were selected unanimously.

Martin was unstoppable in four games last week, hitting .714 in four games with five home runs and 18 RBIs. The senior outfielder from Irwinville, GA became only the second player in PBC history to hit four home runs in a single game, the first since 1993, in the series finale against Augusta University. That tied the PBC record and his nine RBIs in that contest are tied for fifth-most in a single game in PBC history. Martin hit .750 in the three-game set, hitting two doubles and a homer in the opener with three RBIs, then going 5-for-5 in game two with two more doubles and four RBIs. He also drove in a pair against Valdosta State in a mid-week game. He had a 1.667 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage, scored 12 runs and stole a base. His four home runs is the most in a single game in all three NCAA divisions this season.

Martin currently ranks fourth in the country in home runs (10), doubles (11) and hits (40), while sitting fifth in runs scored (34) and seventh in runs batted in (33).

In the PBC, he’s currently second in batting average (.435) and slugging percentage (.924), third in on-base percentage (.527).

Martin was a two-time PBC Freshman of the Week award winner in 2017. He earned Georgia Southwestern’s first NCBWA Southeast Region Hitter of the Week award on Tuesday.

GSW has received two national weekly awards this season. Martin’s teammate Tucker Smith was named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week on March 18.

Division II Regional Players of the Week:

– Atlantic: Caleb Wells, Sheppherd (Hitter); Deven Judy, (Pitcher)

– Central: Tommy Stevenson, Missouri Southern State (Hitter); Tanner Brown, Augustana (S.D.) (Pitcher)

– East: Dakota Mulcay, Southern New Hampshire (Hitter); Wesley Tobin, Southern New Hampshire (Pitcher)

– Midwest: Nikko Calabro, Drury (Hitter); Nick Rutkowski, Grand Valley State (Pitcher)

– South: Ryan Beamish, Lee University (Hitter); Arrison Perez, Barry (Pitcher)

– South Central: Jake Williams, MSU Denver (Hitter); Cade Crader, MSU Denver (Pitcher)

– Southeast: Jonathan Martin, Georgia Southwestern (Hitter); Brody McCullough, Wingate (Pitcher)

– West: Shawn Grandmont, Northwest Nazarene (Hitter); Nathan Garkow, Point Loma (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.