March 19, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Brian Albert of Biola (Calif.) has been selected as the NAIA Baseball Pitcher of the Week while Stevie Lewis of Southern Nazarene (Okla.) was awarded the NAIA Baseball Player of the Week for March 10-16.

Albert, a 5-10 junior pitcher from Whittier, Calif., allowed just one run on four hits while striking out nine in the home win over No. 2 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) last week. He went 7.0 innings in Biola's 8-1 victory. Albert did not allow a hit through the first 5.2 innings against the Cougars. APU entered the weekend with a .345 team batting average.

Lewis, a 6-1 senior centerfielder from Ontario, Canada, hit .667 going 10-for-15 with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored in five games last week. He was a part of four wins helping the Crimson Storm sweep Northwestern Oklahoma State in a three-game set. He added two home runs, one double one steal and was walked seven times.

The next Players of the Week will be announced on March 26.

Other Pitcher of the Week Nominees:
Ben Johnson, Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.); Chris Howell, Taylor (Ind.); Levi Curry, Mount Vernon Nazarene
(Ohio); Marty Popham, Union (Ky.); Aaron Varnum, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Josh Hake, Park (Mo.); Cesar
Arias, Bacone (Okla.); Jesse Luker, Mobile (Ala.); Jason Grisham, Concordia (Ore.);, Michael Hufty,
William Woods (Mo.); Steven Aschinger, Morningside (Iowa)

Other Player of the Week Nominees:
Travis Persinger, Ottawa (Kan.); Richey Burgos, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio); Dave Sauter, Jamestown
(N.D.); Joseph Willis, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Mark Abell, Indiana-Southeast; Alex O'brien, College of Idaho;
Nelson Sanchez, Bethel (Ind.); Chris Warters, Lee (Tenn.); Patrick Braswell, Savannah College of Art &
Design (Ga.); Hawkins Gebbers, Biola (Calif.); Brandon Patek, Missouri Baptist

2007-08 Composite Award Winners:
March 19:
Pitcher - Brian Albert, Biola (Calif.)
Player - Stevie Lewis, Southern Nazarene (Okla.)