DALLAS -- The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released the Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week awards for the period ending April 26, today. BYU junior third baseman was named National Hitter of the Week, while East Carolina's sophomore RHP Ricky Brooks was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Taylor hit for the cycle, another grand slam and tied a school record with six hits in the last game against Utah. The Orem, Utah, native's cycle came in his first four plate appearances. He hit his grand slam in the first, a single in the third, a double in the fifth and a triple in the sixth. Taylor ended up tying a school record for hits in the game with six. He ended up going 6-for-6 with a walk and six RBI in the 19-6 victory over Utah. He hit a first-pitch, opposite-field grand slam.
It was Taylor's fourth slam of the season and third in eight days. The home run was his 14th on the year, tying his personal season best from last year. Taylor said he ran through a stop sign on his way to third for his triple. He hit his third grand slam of the season in game one against Utah on Thursday. In that game, which the Cougars won 10-8, BYU plated nine in the second frame on 10 hits, highlighted by Taylor's grand slam. It was the second slam for Taylor in a week, as he hit one against San Diego State last Friday (April 15). His slugging percentage for the week was 1.118 and he improved his batting average from .340 to ..364, while driving in 12 total runs.
Brooks threw the first nine-inning no-hitter in Conference USA history against Memphis on Sunday, coming within a wild pitch on a strikeout of tossing a perfect game. The North Tonowanda, N.Y., native struck out 14 of the 28 batters that he faced, allowing no walks in posting his third complete game in six C-USA starts. Earlier in the week, Brooks pitched 3.1 innings of relief against N.C. State, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two.
With this week's honor, Brooks automatically is named to the watch list for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the year, sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.
The Fort Worth-based Pro-Line Cap Co. supplies the official cap to more than 100 Division I college teams. This is the first season Pro-Line has sponsored the NCBWA's Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional consideration. For more information about Pro-Line, visit their Web site at www.prolinecap.com.
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, http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/.