Charon, Maher and Middlebrooks are NCBWA Division III National Players of the Week

DALLAS (NCBWA) – For the first time this season, a player with a cycle was chosen for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Hitter of the Week, while one of last week’s two nine-inning no-hitters garnered the Pitcher of the Week award. A .625 average with 11 RBI and six steals rounded out the honors for games played March 18-24 as the Rookie of the Week.

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Lawrence University (Wisconsin) senior outfielder Jacob Charon batted .619 (13-for-21) over six games and hit for the cycle in the first game of the team’s three-game Midwest Conference series with Knox College (Illinois). The senior drove in 10, scored 10 times, and logged five doubles, three homers, and a triple over the six-game Florida swing. Charon’s cycle started with a two-run homer in the opening inning, then he tripled in the third, singled in the fourth, and completed the cycle with a double in the sixth inning. The Vikings won 13-0 in seven innings. For the series with Knox, Charon went 7-for-9 with six RBI and six runs, as the Vikings outscored the Prairie Fire 29-1. Charon was named to D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and the MWC Player of the Week.

Honorable Mention Hitter: Brayden Quincel, Sr., SS, Otterbein University (Ohio) – Went 8-for-9 (.889) over midweek wins against Bluffton University (Ohio) and Ohio Wesleyan University. Quincel drove in seven, scored six times, and clubbed three home runs. He was 4-for-4 with four RBI, four runs scored, and a pair of homers in Tuesday’s 29-11 win at Bluffton. Quincel was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for the second time in the last three weeks.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth junior Adam Maher fired the first nine-inning no-hitter in all of Div. III in 2024, according to D3baseball.com. Maher recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Little East Conference rival University of Southern Maine. The no-hitter was the second of Maher’s career. The left-hander earned a spot on D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and was the LEC Pitcher of the Week.

Honorable Mention Pitcher: Johnny Blake, Sr., University of Dubuque (Iowa) – Fired the program’s third no-hitter and first since 1984 in Saturday’s 7-0, nine-inning win over Luther College (Iowa). Blake struck out 10 in the no-hitter and the only blemish on his line was a one-out walk in the fourth inning. Blake was named to D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week and was the American Rivers Conference Male Athlete and Baseball Pitcher of the Week.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Wilson College (Pennsylvania) first-year infielder Harry Middlebrooks slashed .625/.667/.688 during a 3-1 week to earn United East Player of the Week for the Skye Division. Middlebrooks hit 10-for-16 with 11 RBI, six runs, six stolen bases, four walks, and a double. Middlebrooks extended his hitting streak to 12 games and has logged multiple hits in the past five games. All six stolen bases and 10 of the RBI came in the United East series sweep against Saint Elizabeth University (New Jersey). 

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters, and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates, and official votes in the Dick Howser Player of the Year Award, Regional Player of the Year, and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication contests, and writing contests.

2024 DIV. III HITTER, PITCHER, AND ROOKIE OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS
• Month of February: Luke Finn, UT Dallas (Hitter); Wil Wood, Millsaps (Pitcher); Alex Miller, Centenary (Louisiana) (Rookie)
• Week ending March 3: Dane Jones, LeTourneau (Hitter); Brandon Cassedy, Christopher Newport (Pitcher); JB Landrum, Huntingdon (Rookie)
• Week ending March 10: Patrick Gillen, Calvin (Hitter); Sayers Collins, ETBU (Pitcher); Greg Pierantoni, Pomona-Pitzer (Rookie)
• Week ending March 17: Chris Betler, York (Hitter); Nicholas Thompson, Colby (Pitcher); Ian Moser, Eastern Connecticut State (Rookie)
• Week ending March 24: Jacob Charon, Lawrence (Hitter); Adam Maher, UMass Dartmouth (Pitcher); Harry Middlebrooks, Wilson (Rookie)