The first nine-inning perfect game of the year, a 16-hit week while batting .593, and a one-hitter claimed the week three National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Hitter, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Week honors. This week’s selections cover games played March 6-12.
HITTER OF THE WEEK
Senior shortstop DJ Perron helped University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to a perfect 7-0 record last week. The Corsairs’ star batted a phenomenal .593 (16-for-27) with a team-high 17 RBI. He scored 10 runs, clubbed a team-best four home runs, and notched two doubles on the week. Perron, who was named to D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and was the Little East Conference co-Player of the Week, hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 12-11 triumph over Pennsylvania State University Altoona on March 7. In that game, Perron was 6-for-6 with seven RBI, three runs scored, a homer, and a double.
Honorable Mention Hitter: Dymitri Kanellakis, Jr., OF, Augustana College (Illinois) – College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Hitter of the Week, going 11-for-14 (.786) with seven runs scored and seven RBI in wins over University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Pennsylvania), Rockford University (Illinois), Saint John’s University (Minnesota), and Western Connecticut State University. Had at least two hits in all four games, including a 5-for-5 performance with a double and a triple on Friday against Rockford.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Grove City College (Pennsylvania) junior Nick Guidas fired Div. III’s first nine-inning perfect game of 2023 and the second of the season, as the Wolverines blanked Illinois College 6-0 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on March 9. The left-hander stuck out a career-high 14 men, fanning eight of the last nine he faced. Only two balls left the infield during the masterpiece – a fly out to center field in the second inning and a fly out to center field in the third inning. The D3baseball.com Team of the Week honoree was the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Honorable Mention Pitcher: Derek Archer, Fr., Westminster College (Missouri) – Notched his first collegiate win with a one-hit, nine-inning shutout against Grinnell College (Iowa) on March 12. Archer was named to D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and was the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week. He struck out nine and did not walk anybody in the 1-0 win.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Westminster College (Missouri) freshman Derek Archer notched his first collegiate win with a one-hit, nine-inning shutout in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Grinnell College (Iowa). The right-hander, who carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning, was named to D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and was the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week after striking out nine and not allowing a walk.
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