Alex Miller Named NCBWA Div. III Rookie Of The Month

Wooster, Ohio - Centenary freshman 1B Alex Miller (Cypress, Texas) was named the Div. III Rookie Of The Month by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the organization announced on Wednesday.

2/28/24 - NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

Finn, Wood, Miller honored

Baseball season has been in full swing in the southern portion of the country for several weeks, so it is no surprise that is where the winners of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Hitter, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Month for February play their college ball. The February honors cover all games played February 1-25. The Div III selection committee will resume the traditional weekly selections and weekly submission criteria next week.

HITTER OF MONTH

The University of Texas at Dallas senior right fielder Luke Finn led the Comets to a 6-1 start with all six victories coming against teams receiving votes in the preseason D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 Poll. Finn was a monster at the dish, hitting .500 (15-for-30) with 19 runs, 12 RBI, seven homers, and five walks. He was 8-for-14 with 10 runs, six RBI, and three homers in a three-game sweep of American Southwest Conference foe Hardin-Simmons University (Texas). Finn started the year on a tear, going 5-for-12 with six runs, five RBI, and three homers in a three-game sweep against Texas Lutheran University. Finn currently leads Div. III in home runs and runs and is ninth nationally in hits. Finn was named to this week's D3baseball.com Team of the Week, and he is already a two-time ASC Baseball Player of the Week this spring.

Honorable Mention Hitter: Jack Halloran, Jr., DH, Emory University (Georgia) – Hit .484 (15-for-31) over nine games for Emory. Drove in 19 runs, scored 12 times, drew seven walks, and clubbed four home runs. Opened year with 3-for-7 afternoon with seven RBI, two homers, and two runs in doubleheader split with Berry College (Georgia). Had a monster three-game set versus Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Indiana), going 8-for-10 with nine RBI, six runs, and two homers to help Eagles to a 2-1 record. Was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs in the rubber match. Halloran was named to this week's D3baseball.com Team of the Week and was the University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.

PITCHER OF MONTH

Millsaps College (Mississippi) graduate pitcher Wil Wood recorded the Majors' first no-hitter since 2014 on Friday, February 23. The left-hander struck out 16 in the 1-0 seven-inning win over Westminster College (Missouri). Wood recorded a strikeout in every frame and struck out the side in the second, third, and sixth innings. A fielding error in the second inning is all that kept Wood from a perfect game. On the month, Wood sported a 2-0 record with a 1.00 ERA over 18 innings. He has 34 strikeouts over four appearances and was named to D3baseball.com's Team of the Week and was the Southern Athletic Association's Athlete of the Week following the no-hitter.

Honorable Mention Pitcher: Sayers Collins, Gr., East Texas Baptist University – Fired seven no-hit innings in fifth-ranked ETBU's 5-0 shutout against sixth-ranked and defending national champion University of Lynchburg (Virginia) on February 16. Faced 21 batters over the seven innings and retired 16 straight spanning innings two through the first out of the seventh. Followed that up five innings of two-hit shutout baseball against Sul Ross State University (Texas) on February 23. On the year, Collins has worked 12 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. Named to D3baseball.com's Team of the Week and was the ASC Pitcher of the Week following the combined no-hitter.

ROOKIE OF MONTH
First-year first baseman Alex Miller of Centenary College of Louisiana batted .462 (12-for-26) with nine runs, eight RBI, five walks, three homers, and two doubles in February. Miller logged four multi-hit games over the seven he played in, headlined by a 3-for-5 day with two doubles, a run scored, and RBI in a 13-3 win at Occidental College (California). Miller went 5-for-13 with four runs, four RBI, and two homers in the Gents' three-game sweep of Occidental. Miller was named this week's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week.

ABOUT THE NCBWA

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)