DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the week ending on February 18, 2024. Pittsburg State (Kan.) junior outfielder Karson Coffee, is the National Hitter of the Week and Saginaw Valley State senior hurler Hayden Jatczak is the National Pitcher of the Week.
Coffee (Bentonville, Ark. / Eastern Oklahoma CC) hit .600 with four home runs and 15 RBI in four games, including a three-game series sweep against Southwest Baptist. The weekend was highlighted with a 5-for-5 performance at the plate which included two home runs and eight RBI in the Gorillas’ 25-3 run-rule win over the Bearcats in game one of a doubleheader Sunday (Feb. 18). He smacked a grand slam as well as a two-run home run in the Gorillas’ 15-run fifth inning against SBU. Coffee added a run scoring single in the sixth inning of the game and was hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth inning as well. He also went 2-for-3 with an RBI single as well as a three-run homer in Pitt State’s 15-0 win over SBU in Sunday’s final contest. Coffee went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in the Gorillas 11-1 series opening win against SBU Saturday (Feb. 17). For the week, Coffee scored six runs, collected nine hits, slugged 1.400 and had a 632 on-base percentage.
Jatczak (Bay City, Mich. / Bay City Central HS) was one inning away from a perfect game after going 18 batters up, 18 batters down to start the day. A hit batter and a walk in the seventh ended the perfect game bid, but it led to the first no hitter for the Cardinals in 32 years. Jatczak went seven innings, no hits, no runs, one walk, one hit batter, and seven strikeouts in his record book performance.
Division II Regional Players of the Week
- Atlantic: Matt Williams, Millersville (Hitter); Andrew Neff, Concord (Pitcher)
- Central: Karson Coffee, Pittsburg State (Hitter); Isaiah Haynes, Southern Arkansas (Pitcher)
- East: Anthony Manisero, Molloy (Hitter); Robert Lucano, Molloy (Pitcher)
- Midwest: Mark Kattula, Illinois-Springfield (Hitter); Hayden Jatczak, Saginaw Valley State (Pitcher)
- South: Connor Crowson, Montevallo (Hitter); Edward Berry, Rollins (Pitcher)
- South Central: Garrett Brooks, St. Mary’s (Hitter); Jakub Rayfield, St. Edward’s (Pitcher)
- Southeast: Connor Droze, Lander (Hitter); Benjamin Blackwell, Coker (Pitcher)
- West: Matthew Piotrowski, Cal State Los Angeles (Hitter); Luke Hempel, Cal State San Bernardino (Pitcher)
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2024 NCBWA Division II Players of the Week
Feb. 7: Ryan Ball, Lubbock Christian (Hitter, South Central); Cole Gayman, Missouri Southern (Pitcher, Central)
Feb. 14; C.D. White, Northeastern State (Hitter, Central); Jonathan Zayas, Northwest Nazarene (Pitcher, West)
Feb. 21; Karson Coffee, Pittsburg State (Hitter, Central); Hayden Jatczak, Saginaw Valley State (Pitcher, Midwest)