Justin Coats Named National Player of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Bennett Whitmore of Concordia (Calif.) has been named the NAIA National Baseball Pitcher of the Week and Justin Coats of Northwood (Texas) has been NAIA National Baseball Player of the Week, the National Office announced Tuesday. Whitmore and Coats are the first honorees of the 2010 season based on their performances from March 8-14. The pair was chosen out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 20 conferences.

Whitmore improved to 5-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 7.1 shutout frames in Concordia's 4-0 upset of second-ranked Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). The senior hailing from Fresno, Calif., equaled a season-high with 10 strikeouts.

The leftie ranks first nationally in innings pitched (50.2), third in wins (5), sixth in total batters struck out (44) and 10th in inning pitched per game (7.238).

Coats helped lead the No. 25 Knights to six wins last week, totaling 10 hits in 16 at-bats (.625). He had one triple and three home runs, driving in 16 runs.

A senior second basemen from Texarkana, Texas, Coats is ranked ninth nationally in total runs scored (30).

The next Player of the Week announcement will be on March 23.