PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference has announced its baseball weekly award winners for the week ending March 8.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRAYDEN DAVIS • Rowan University
Junior • Third Base • Chatsworth, NJ/Seneca
Davis has been selected as NJAC Player of the Week after a historic opening week for the No. 8 Profs. The junior third baseman batted .769 with 10 hits, 10 RBI, five doubles, and three home runs across a 3-0 week. He delivered one of the most dramatic debuts of the young season in Friday's opener against No. 21 Penn State Harrisburg, belting a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game before launching a walk-off three-run shot in the 11th inning to complete a 9-7 victory. He was 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBI in that contest. Davis kept rolling in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Vermont State Castleton, going a combined 7-for-8 with five doubles, a home run, and four RBI across the two games. He posted a 1.846 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage on the week.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
NOAH RIVERA • Kean University
Senior • Pitcher • Hamilton, NJ/Steinert
Rivera garners NJAC Pitcher of the Week after delivering a lights-out performance in the biggest moment of the early season. Called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning against No. 1 Trinity on Friday, the senior right-hander struck out the side while facing the minimum to secure the save in Kean's 6-5 victory. Rivera did not allow a baserunner in the inning, slamming the door on the top-ranked team in Division III.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KYLE LAMANTEER • Rowan University
Freshman • Shortstop • Vineland, NJ/Vineland
Lamanteer earns NJAC Rookie of the Week after making an immediate impact in the first week of the season for the No. 8 Profs. The freshman shortstop batted .600 with three hits, three RBI, and two home runs across two games in a 3-0 week. He went 1-for-1 with a run scored in the season-opening 9-7 extra-inning win over No. 21 Penn State Harrisburg on Friday, then erupted in his first career start on Saturday against Vermont State Castleton. In that contest, Lamanteer broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer in the second inning and added a solo shot in the fifth to help power a 7-3 victory.
ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
GABE McCRACKEN • Rutgers-Camden
Freshman • Right-Handed Pitcher • Audubon, NJ/Audubon
McCracken claims NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week after a dominant first collegiate start on Wednesday against York. The freshman right-hander fired five shutout innings, surrendering just one hit with no walks while striking out eight in a 3-0 Raptors victory. McCracken retired 15 of the 17 batters he faced in the outing and carries a 0.00 ERA through two appearances this season, having allowed just three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts across six innings of work.