by Matt Plante
Vice President

Weekly Top Tier Alumni Roundup for our NCAA Division II, III, NAIA & JUCO Players:

Player of the Week:

Tommy Egan, RHP, Iowa Western (JUCO)

Egan earned Division 1 NJCAA Athlete of the Week after he was practically untouchable in his two appearances this past weekend for Iowa Western. Egan threw a combined 5 innings in his two outings on the mound giving up 0 runs off 0 hits, only walking one and striking out 10. Iowa Western went 3-1 this past week to improve to 13-5 overall on the year. Egan as a freshman is 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings of work with 26 strikeouts.

Best of the Rest Highlights for our Division II, III, NAIA & JUCO players:

Sam Antonacci, Heartland (JUCO)

Antonacci continues to be the hottest hitter in Junior College baseball as he continued his dominance at the plate this past week going 14 for 26, hitting a cool .538 with 2 homers, two doubles, a triple and collected 9 RBI's. Heartland beat Lake Land and lost to Southeast Iowa only to turn around and sweep Danville to improve to 12-6 overall. Antonacci leads the team in almost every category as he is hitting .557 on the year with 7 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 23 RBI's and has 10 stolen bases.

David Burch, Morton (JUCO)

Burch has been on a tear all year and continued to tear the cover off the ball again this past weekend as he went 7 for 14, hitting .500 with a double, a triple and an RBI. Morton swept Marian-Ancilla and improved to 10-4 overall on the year. Burch is leading the team with a .481 batting average and has 4 doubles, 2 triples and 10 RBI's on the year so far.

Tommy Nelsen, UW-LaCrosse (D3)

Nelsen started the year off with a bang as he went 6 for 9 in two games with a homer, a triple and collected 3 RBI's. UW-LaCrosse went 4-4 in the RussMatt Invitational in Florida this past weekend and are 4-4 overall.

Nick Baldassano, Aurora (D3)

Baldassano went 6 for 12, hitting .500 with a double and 3 RBI's as Aurora swept Luther this past weekend to improve to 8-3 overall.

Nick Villasenor, St. Francis (NAIA)

Villasenor threw a gem this past week vs. Olivet Nazarene but go a no-decision for his efforts. Villasenor went 9 innings giving up only 1 run off 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. St. Francis is 6-15 overall on the year.

Dylan Whitney, Johns Hopkins (D3)

Whitney had a heck of a weekend at the plate for the Blue Jays where he went 7 for 18, hitting .389 with two doubles and 3 RBI's. Johns Hopkins went 2-3 in the RussMatt Invitational in Florida this past week and are 8-6 overall on the year.

Will Gibbs, Olney Central (JUCO)

Gibbs went 7 for 19, hitting .368 this past week with 3 RBI's. Olney Central beat Millikin in the midweek game and then lost 2 of 3 to John A. Logan over the weekend to fall to 12-11 overall on the year. Gibbs is leading the team in batting average hitting .444.

Nick Talarico, Case Western (D3)

Talarico went 4 for 10 this past weekend, hitting .400 with a homer, a double and collected 6 RBI's. Case Western won 2 of 3 vs. Denison and improved to 6-9 overall on the year.

Jacob Lotz, Lewis (D2)

Lotz got the win in relief this past week after he threw 2.2 scoreless innings vs. Purdue-Northwest giving up 0 hits and 0 walks while striking out 7. Lewis beat Purdue-Northwest twice this past week and improved to 4-8-1 overall. Lotz is 1-1 on the year with a 0.00 ERA in 8.2 innings of work with 18 strikeouts.

Jacob Bosse, South Suburban (JUCO)

Bosse earned his 1st win of the year vs. Kishwaukee after he tossed 4 innings giving up only 1 run off 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6. South Sub beat Kishwaukee and Triton and split with Carl Sandburg to improve to 11-9 overall.

Brendan Holloway, Oakton (JUCO)

Holloway went 5 for 16, hitting .313 this past week with a double and an RBI. Oakton went 4-3 on their Florida trip and are 5-3 overall on the year.

Peyton Olejnik, Triton (JUCO)

Olejnik had a really good outing this past week vs. Kirkwood where he earned the loss but pitched well going 6.2 innings giving up only 2 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. Triton is 4-9 overall on the year.

Anthony Wiorski, Oakton

Wiorski went 3 for 7 this past week in Florida with a double and an RBI. Oakton went 4-3 on their Florida trip and are 5-3 overall.

Khyle Radcliffe, John A. Logan (JUCO)

Radcliffe went 4 for 12, hitting .333 this past weekend, blasting two homers, a double and collecting 7 RBI's. The Vols swept Olney Central over the weekend and improved to 17-6 overall on the year.

Mitch Farris, Wingate (D2)

Farris went 2 for 6 this past weekend at the plate and made one relief appearance on the mound tossing 1.2 innings giving up 1 run off 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Wingate swept Emmanuel and improved to 23-3 overall. Farris is hitting .288 on the season with two doubles, 3 homers and 12 RBI's along with being 3-1 on the mound with a 3.52 ERA in 15.1 innings of work with 23 strikeouts.

Andy Booth, Saint Leo (D2)

Booth pitched really solid this past weekend vs. #1 ranked Tampa as he went 5.2 innings giving up 2 runs off 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. Saint Leo lost 2 of 3 to Tampa and are 18-9 overall. Booth on the year had made 9 appearances, has a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings of work with 26 strikeouts.

Robert Chayka, Kentucky Wesleyan (D2)

Chayka went 5 for 15, hitting .333 this past weekend with a triple and 4 RBI's. Kentucky Wesleyan finally got on track taking 3 of 4 from Walsh and are now 4-16 overall. Chayka is hitting .298 on the year with 3 doubles, a triple, 6 homers and 19 RBI's.

Joel Sarver, Northwest Florida State (JUCO)

Sarver earned a win this past week vs. Gulf Coast where he tossed 6 innings giving up 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. The Raiders took 3 of 4 vs. Gulf Coast and are now 23-8 overall. Sarver is 4-1 with 47 strikeouts in 37 innings of work with and ERA of 3.38.

Lucas Spence, Blackhawk (JUCO)

Spence earned his 1st collegiate save vs. Parkland this past weekend tossing 0.2 innings giving up 0 runs on 0 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. Spence also went 1 for 7 at the plate with a double and 3 RBI's. Blackhawk beat Parkland twice this past week and are now 4-4 overall.

Tommy Shaw, Millikin (D3)

Shaw went 3 for 8 with a double and 3 RBI's this past weekend as they beat Illinois College twice and improved to 13-4 overall.

Luke Napleton, Quincy (D2)

Napleton collected 4 hits this past weekend with 2 more homers and collected 5 more RBI's. However, Quincy lost 3 of 4 to Davenport and are now 9-9 overall on the year. Napleton is hitting .304 on the year with 4 doubles, 7 homers and 24 RBI's.

Connor Blake, IIT (D3)

Blake collected 4 hits this past weekend with a double and an RBI. Blake also pitched 6.1 innings in his start earning a no-decision after only giving up 3 earned runs off 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. IIT got swept by North Central this past weekend and fell to 3-7 overall on the year.

Austin Divello, Coe (D3)

Divello earned his 3rd save of the year vs. #10 ranked Webster where he threw a scoreless inning giving up 0 hits and 0 walks while striking out 1. However, he took a loss in his next save opportunity later in the week vs. UW-Stevens Point where he tossed 2 innings giving up 2 runs off 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1. Coe beat Webster, split with UW-Stevens Point and lost to Augustana and are now 5-6 overall on the year.

Logan Riley, Elgin (JUCO)

Riley collected 3 hits this past weekend with all off them being doubles and also collected 4 RBI's. Elgin beat Sauk Valley twice and Triton once to improve to 5-2 overall.

Brian Rapanan, MIT (D3)

Rapanan made two appearances this past week on the mound. He got the win in relief vs. UMass-Boston tossing 3 innings giving up 0 runs off only 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 2. Rapanan earned a no-decision in his start vs. Pomona-Pitzer tossing 5 innings giving up 3 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. MIT is 2-9-1 overall on the year.