DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week awards presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending May 7. Ole Miss junior catcher/outfielder Calvin Harris was named National Hitter of the Week, while Hofstra graduate student right-handed pitcher Brad Camarda and LSU junior right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes were named National Co-Pitchers of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Harris made history on Saturday against Missouri as he hit four home runs, drove in 10 runs, scored four times, and compiled 16 total bases in Ole Miss' 20-14 win over the Tigers. The Peosta, Iowa, native became the first SEC player ever to hit four home runs in a conference game and just the third SEC player to do it in any game. He is also now just the fourth player in SEC history to have 16+ total bases in a single game.
His four home runs and 16 total bases also set new Ole Miss single-game records in both categories and his 10 RBI tied an Ole Miss single-game record that has stood since 1947. All marks were career-highs for Harris and he also set a new career-high with four runs scored in the series finale.
Harris hit .471 (8-for-17) with five home runs, a triple, 13 RBI, and nine runs scored over four games last week. He led the SEC in runs scored, RBI, and home runs and was second in total bases on the week.
Camarda threw his first career no-hitter and the third in program history in the Pride's 7-1 victory over the Hawks in the opener of a road Colonial Athletic Association series. The Dix Hills, New York, native needed 97 pitches to record his third complete game of the season. In addition to the no-hitter, Camarda struck out a season-high eight batters.
Skenes, a product of Lake Forest, California, defeated Auburn on Friday night, working a season-high 7 1/3 innings and allowing no runs on six hits with one walk and a career-high 15 strikeouts. The two-time Dick Howser Trophy Award Presented by The Game Headwear National Pitcher of the Week became the first LSU pitcher to record 15 strikeouts in a game since Tyler Jones fanned 15 at the University of New Orleans on May 17, 2011.
Skenes' outing marked the most strikeouts by an LSU pitcher in an SEC game since April 24, 2009, when Anthony Ranaudo fanned 15 against Auburn in Baton Rouge.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com. For more information, contact NCBWA Executive Associate Director Mike Montoro (304-293-2821, mike.montoro@mail.wvu.edu).