PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference has announced its baseball weekly award winners for the week ending Feb. 22.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ZACH STEARNS • Montclair State University
Senior • Catcher • Ridley, PA / Archbishop Carroll
Stearns earns NJAC Baseball Player of the Week honors after one of the most complete performances of the opening weekend, doing damage on both sides of the ball in Montclair State's 3-0 sweep of UMass Dartmouth. At the plate, he drove in five runs and scored five more across three games, adding two doubles, a home run and two stolen bases. Behind the plate, he was just as impactful — recording 15 putouts and two assists while throwing out two runners attempting to steal, anchoring the Red Hawks' battery all weekend long.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
COLIN DOWLEN • Montclair State University
Senior • Pitcher • Middletown, NJ / Middletown North
Dowlen kicks off his senior season in dominant fashion, earning NJAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors after a masterful outing in Montclair State's season-opening 5-4 win over UMass Dartmouth on Feb. 20. The right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk over six innings while tying his career high with nine strikeouts to set the tone for the Red Hawks' sweep of the weekend series.
ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
JT DERISO • William Paterson University
Freshman • Pitcher • River Vale, NJ / Pascack Valley
DeRiso captures NJAC Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Week honors for the second consecutive week after recording the first save of his career in William Paterson's 6-0 home opener against Mount Aloysius on Feb. 21. The freshman worked three scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just two hits to help the Pioneers close out the shutout victory.