Catawba Valley Community College baseball player named national player of the week

Catawba Valley Community College sophomore shortstop Pierce Bouwman was named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Player of the Week on Wednesday.

Bouwman becomes the 17th Red Hawk in program history to earn the national honor and the first shortstop from CVCC to receive the award.

"Receiving this honor means a lot to me because it's taken a lot of hard work," Bouwman said. "From the coaches to the school staff and beyond, the support group at CVCC is unlike any other. To be recognized by the NJCAA is a blessing."

The sophomore turned in a historic week offensively, finishing 15-for-21 at the plate with 12 runs scored, five doubles, six home runs and 15 RBIs. He posted a staggering 1.810 slugging percentage, anchoring one of the most productive offensive stretches by a Red Hawk this season.

During the week, Bouwman also made program history. His six home runs pushed his season total to 21, breaking the CVCC single-season home run record.

"Looking back on the week, I felt great," Bouwman said. "I was seeing the ball well, hitting balls on the barrel, and spinning it the way I wanted. I think a big part of that comes from the effort level and energy throughout our team and knowing everyone is doing everything they can to win gives me confidence when I'm on the field."

So far on the season, Bouwman is batting .419 with a .505 on-base percentage and .925 slugging percentage with 67 hits (16 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs), 53 runs scored and 57 RBIs.

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