DALLAS - Rice sophomore second baseman Josh Rodriguez has been selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) as the Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week for March 29 the organization has announced.
The NCBWA reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season. Rodriguez was named National Hitter of the Week while Delaware junior Brent Gaphardt was named National Pitcher of the Week.
Rodriguez was also named the Western Athletic Conference player of the week March 28 after hitting .692 (9-for-13) in the Owls' four games. The standout from nearby South Houston High School had four home runs and a double for a 1.692 slugging percentage with seven runs scored and nine RBI.
On March 22, he was 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI against Sam Houston State. In the opener of a three-game series against Nevada on March 25, Rodriguez hit two home runs and had five RBI while going 4-for-4 from the plate. He also extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games on Sunday.
Gaphardt recorded Delaware's first no-hitter in Colonial Athletic Association play, blanking Hofstra over seven innings in the Hens' 11-0 victory in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday. The junior left-hander struck out 13 in the game, fanning the side three times.
Pro-Line Caps will award a commemorative plaque to each of the weekly honorees across the nation.
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 at
www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa.