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 21. UT Rio Grande Valley graduate student first baseman Brandon Pimentel was named National Hitter of the Week, while Southern Miss right-handed pitcher Tanner Hall and Tennessee junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Lindsey were named Co-National Pitchers of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Pimentel slashed .857/.889/2.000 while leading the Vaqueros to a 3-1 week, going 12-for-14 with five home runs, one double, four walks, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored. He had three hits in each game.
Pimentel opened the week by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored at Lamar on Tuesday. He then posted his first-career three-homer game while driving in a season-high five runs and scoring a career-high tying four times on Thursday in the series opener at Stephen F. Austin. Pimentel followed that up by reaching five times with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored on Friday before reaching four more times with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored on Saturday.
Against Louisiana, Hall threw eight scoreless innings against one of the toughest offensive lineups in the league. He allowed three hits and walked one while fanning 12 Cajuns. It was the first shutout of UL this season and the first one since the Golden Eagles blanked them last season on March 5.
After allowing a leadoff double to open the second, the Zachary, Louisiana, native then retired 16 batters in a row before surrendering a one-out walk in the seventh. He also gave up back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth but got a ground out and a strikeout on his career high 114th pitch to end the threat.
Lindsey continued his impressive form with his best start of the season, tossing a career-best 8 1/3 shutout innings in last Friday night's series-opening 5-0 victory over No. 9/13 South Carolina.
The New Johnsonville, Tennessee, native surrendered just three hits, all singles, and did not issue a single walk while striking out five Gamecocks. The right hander retired the final 17 batters he faced before being lifted with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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