LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Christopher Newport’s Jamie Martin and Framingham State’s Gwendolyn Carpenter claimed the final Division III Wilson/NFCA Pitcher and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honors of the 2024 season on Tuesday.
It’s the second-straight weekly honor for Martin, who was a thorn in the side for Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference rival Salisbury for the third time in less than a week. The junior left-hander tossed a no-hitter in a pitcher’s duel with the Sea Gulls’ Nicole Ortega (five-hitter) in Christopher Newport’s conference-tournament opener on Friday. Martin fanned five and walked one over seven innings in the 1-0 victory. The third-ranked Captains beat then-No. 4 Salisbury again on Saturday, 3-2 in 10 innings, to secure the league’s automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament.
The previous week, Martin keyed a doubleheader sweep of then No. 1-ranked Salisbury that secured the top seed for the Captains in the conference tournament with a four-hitter (eight strikeouts) in the first game and a stellar relief outing in the nightcap.
Meanwhile, senior outfielder Carpenter helped the Rams capture their third consecutive Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tournament title and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament.
For the conference tournament’s five games, Most Valuable Player Carpenter hit .526 with seven runs, six doubles, a home run and seven RBI. In the two championship games against top-seeded Westfield State, she went 4-for-8 with two runs, two doubles, a homer and four RBI. It was her second-inning grand slam in the winner-take-all second title contest that put the Rams ahead to stay in what turned into a 10-2 six-inning rout, after Framingham State captured the first game 3-0.
Other Top Performances
Piper Kinney, Simmons – 2-1, 2.92 ERA, 12 IP, 5 BB, 11 K, GNAC tournament MVP; Abby Mace, Salisbury - .429 AVG, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 1.286 SLG, three homers in conference tourney opener versus Mary Washington; Arabella Perez, Pacific Lutheran - .667 (6-for-9), .750 OBP, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB; Jennifer Rodriguez, Utica - .615 (8-for-13), five hits against conference titlist St. John Fisher.
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2024 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
May 14 — Jamie Martin, Christopher Newport, Jr., LHP, Lorton, Va.
May 7 — Jamie Martin, Christopher Newport, Jr., LHP, Lorton, Va.
April 30 — Moira O’Reilly, Babson, Sr., LHP, Columbus, Ohio
April 23 — Brooke Hunderman, Calvin, So., RHP, Grand Rapids, Mich.
April 16 — Brooke Hunderman, Calvin, So., RHP, Grand Rapids, Mich.
April 9 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Jr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
April 2 — Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven, Gr., RHP, St. Francisville, La.
March 26 — Ashlyn Strother, Texas Lutheran, Sr., RHP, Seabrook, Texas
March 19 — Tayah Kelley, Linfield, Sr., RHP, Myrtle Creek, Ore.
March 12 — Kate Alger, Christopher Newport, Jr., RHP, Staunton, Va.
March 5 — Tayah Kelley, Linfield, Sr., RHP, Myrtle Creek, Ore.
2024 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
May 14 — Gwendolyn Carpenter, Framingham State, Sr., OF, Ashley Falls, Mass.
May 7 — Olivia Wolk, Hartford, Jr., CF, Sugarloaf, Pa.
April 30 — Annabelle Calderon, Denison, Jr., C, Perris, Calif.
April 23 — Karen Potts, Case Western Reserve, Fr., SS, North Potomac, Md.
April 16 — Abby Mace, Salisbury, Gr., CF, Smyrna, Del.
April 9 — Olivia Tautges, Saint Benedict, So., CF, Brainerd, Minn.
April 2 — Katie Rygiel, Ramapo, Jr., SS, Hillsborough, N.J.
March 26 — Emily Timberman, DePauw, Sr., 3B, Fishers, Ind.
March 19 — Allie Gordon, Belhaven, Gr., 3B, Macon, Ga.
March 12 — Annabelle Calderon, Denison, Jr., C, Perris, Calif.
March 5 — Haylie Stum, East Texas Baptist, Fr., DP/OF, Cypress, Texas
2024 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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