National News

 March 6, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Aaron Wright (Chattanooga State, Tenn.), A.J. Sunstrom (Darton State, Ga.), Casey Rodrigue (LSU-Eunice, La.), Cody Reed (Northwest Mississippi CC), Tim Gallagher (Cumberland CC, N.J.) and Pedro Maldonado (Cedar Valley College, Texas) have been named OC Sports NJCAA baseball players of the week for games Feb. 25 – March 3.

DIVISION I PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aaron Wright – Chattanooga State Community College, Tenn.
First Base – Asheville, N.C. – T.C. Roberson High School

Wright’s strength at the plate powered the Tigers to six straight victories last week. The sophomore batted for a .611 average (11-for-18), racking up 10 RBIs and scoring six runs. Hitting two doubles, a triple and a home run, Wright compiled a 1.000 slugging percentage for the week. In a 12-0 rout of Cleveland State CC (Tenn.), Wright went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, triple and three RBIs. On the season, Wright has a .415 batting average and leads the Tigers with 26 RBIs.



DIVISION I PITCHER OF THE WEEK
A.J. Sunstrom – Darton State College, Ga.
Right-Handed Pitcher – McDonough, Ga. – Ola High School

In Darton State’s 4-0 win over No. 11 Gulf Coast State (Fla.), Sunstrom delivered eight shutout innings for the Cavaliers. The sophomore gave up only four hits and struck out four batters, earning his fourth win of 2013. Sunstrom has been the Cavaliers’ workhorse this season, showcasing a 2.66 ERA in a team-high 40.2 innings pitched.

DIVISION II PLAYER OF THE WEEK  
Casey Rodrigue – Louisiana State University-Eunice
Centerfield – Destrehan, La. – Brother Martin High School

Racking up the extra-base hits last week, Rodrigue led the Bengals to a three-game sweep of visiting No. 11 Kellogg CC (Mich.). Rodrigue boasted a .583 batting average (7-for-12), driving home seven runs and scoring four of his own. The sophomore hit four doubles and stole four bases in the three games. In Sunday’s 11-1 victory over the Bruins, Rodrigue went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Rodrigue leads the Bengals with 25 hits this season, while his 19 steals ranks first in Division II.



DIVISION II PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Cody Reed – Northwest Mississippi Community College
Left-Handed Pitcher – Horn Lake, Miss. – Horn Lake High School

Reed’s six solid innings of work against Henry Ford CC (Mich.) last week backstopped the Rangers in an 11-1 victory. The sophomore totaled 11 strikeouts and allowed only one run in his first win of 2013. Reed’s performance against the Hawks dropped his ERA to 5.79 on the year, while his 22 strikeouts lead the Rangers this season.

DIVISION III PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tim Gallagher – Cumberland County College, N.J.
Centerfield – Mount Holly, N.J. – Hammonton High School

The Dukes extended their win-streak to seven games last week, earning four victories behind Gallagher’s offensive performance. The freshman went 8-for-12 at the plate for a .667 batting average, recording 7 RBIs and three stolen bases. In a 9-1 win over Montgomery County CC (Pa.), Gallagher was 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and two stolen bases. This season, Gallagher leads the Dukes with a .565 batting average and 12 RBIs.



DIVISION III PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Pedro Maldonado – Cedar Valley College, Texas
Right-Handed Pitcher – Grand Prairie, Texas – Grand Prairie High School

Maldonado’s two appearances last week cemented two victories for the Suns. In a 3-1 win over Northwood JV, Maldonado earned his first save of the season with two strikeouts and no hits in one inning of work. The sophomore came back with a seven-inning shutout against No. 6 Eastfield College (Texas), striking out seven batters and allowing six hits in an 8-0 victory. With a team-low 1.17 ERA, Maldonado has been the Suns’ top pitcher in 2013.  

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Baseball Players of the Week (Feb. 18-24)
DI Player: Jacob Mena (2B) – Western Texas College
DI Pitcher: Miles Gully (LHP) – Western Texas College
DII Player: Michael Gilbert (UTL) – Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
DII Pitcher: Domenick Carlini (LHP) – Northwest Mississippi CC
DIII Player: Cody Stashak (P) – Cumberland CC, N.J.
DIII Pitcher: None

Baseball Players of the Week (Feb. 25 – March 3)
DI Player: Aaron Wright (1B) – Chattanooga State, Tenn.
DI Pitcher: A.J. Sunstrom (RHP) – Darton State, Ga.
DII Player: Casey Rodrigue (CF) – LSU-Eunice, La.
DII Pitcher: Cody Reed (LHP) – Northwest Mississippi CC
DIII Player: Tim Gallagher (CF) – Cumberland CC, N.J.
DIII Pitcher: Pedro Maldonado (RHP) – Cedar Valley College, Texas