Conference Carolinas Sweeps NCBWA Weekly Southeast Region Awards
SALISBURY, N.C. - Mount Olive right-handed pitcher Ethan Imbimbo and Erskine first baseman Dale Francis, Jr. were named the recipients of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association (NCBWA) Southeast Region Awards.
Imbimbo was tabbed as the Pitcher of the Week, while Francis was selected as the Player of the Week.
A redshirt junior from Fort Pierce, Florida, Dale Francis, Jr. of Erskine closed out four games for the Flying Fleet last week hitting .613 (8-for-13) with 10 RBIs and seven runs scored. Francis finished his efforts in the four games with four extra-base hits on three home runs and one double. He had multiple hits in three of the four games, which included having three hits in two of the four. All three of his home runs came in a conference series win over Southern Wesleyan. In Erskine's 12-2 second game win in the series, Francis belted two home runs. He is currently third in Conference Carolinas with 27 RBIs. He is second in the league in home runs with seven.
A graduate student from Brentwood, New Hampshire, Ethan Imbimbo of Mount Olive improved to 3-0 on the mound last week after an impressive 1-0 shutout win over No. 2 North Greenville in game one of the series. Imbimbo allowed zero runs on two hits with a season-high seven strikeouts over 6.1 innings pitched. Imbimbo retired the side in order four times while forcing six ground outs and six fly outs. Imbimbo and reliever senior Andrew Ledbetter handed North Greenville its first shutout loss since 2021. Imbimbo is tops in Conference Carolinas this season in hits allowed (17) and he is second in opposing batting average (.183).
NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 6 Jake Inman, UNC Pembroke
Feb. 13 Ben Smith, Anderson
Feb. 20 Benjamin Blackwell, Coker
Feb. 27 Nick McCollum, Georgia Southwestern
Mar. 5 Reece Fields, North Greenville
Mar. 12 Ethan Imbimbo, Mount Olive
NCBWA Southeast Region Player of the Week
Feb. 6 Derek Wylie, Columbus State
Feb. 13 Nick Dietsch, Emmanuel
Feb. 20 Connor Droze, Lander
Feb. 27 David Lewis, North Greenville
Mar. 5 Win Johns, Columbus State
Mar. 12 Dale Francis, Jr., Erskine