[2023 MIAA Baseball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its Baseball Athletes of the Week for seventh week of competition in the 2023 season.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Carter Young – Central Missouri     
Carter Young hit .412 last week to help the Mules to a perfect 4-0, recording a midweek MIAA win over Missouri Western and a three-game series sweep of Newman. Young totaled seven hits in 17 at bats. He finished the week with four runs, 11 RBI, three doubles, two homers, two stolen bases, a .941 slugging and .412 on-base percentage. The redshirt junior recorded two hits in three out of four games, with an extra-base hit in every game.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Ben Des Rosiers – Pittsburg State    
Ben Des Rosiers limited Northeastern State to three hits in 6.0 innings of work to help lead the Gorillas to a 12-0 victory in the series finale on Sunday (Mar. 19). The Castle Rock, Colo., native registered a season high nine strikeouts while holding the RiverHawks to a .150 batting average. Des Rosiers improved to 4-0 on the season with the combined shutout win. In his last three starts, Des Rosiers has allowed just one earned run, seven hits and three walks in 17.0 innings of work (0.53) while registering 21 strikeouts (11.12 K/9 IP).
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Nixon Brannan – Pittsburg State
Nixon Brannan hit .471 with five doubles and a home run among his eight hits and drove in nine runs to help lead Pittsburg State to a 4-0 week. The San Angelo, Texas, native went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI in the Gorillas 12-0 win in the MIAA series finale against Northeastern State. Brannan also had two-hit, two-RBI games in Pitt State’s 9-8 win Emporia State and the Gorillas’ 12-7 win over the RiverHawks to open the series. Brannan currently leads the MIAA in RBI (40) and is tied for second place in the conference in home runs (9).
 
Kadyn Williams – Emporia State
Kadyn Williams produced 15 runs last week from his leadoff spot for the Hornets. The sophomore scored nine runs while driving in six with four stolen bases and Emporia State finished the week 2-2. Williams went 3-fo-5 with four runs scored and two RBI in the Hornets’ 9-8 loss to Pitt State. He led off with a double and eventually scored to give ESU a 1-0 lead in the first inning and then drove in a go ahead run in the seventh to give ESU a 7-6 lead. He finished with two triples, scored twice and had four RBI including the game-winning RBI in the seventh of the Hornets 8-2 series opening win at Northwest Missouri. Williams went 2-fo-4 with a run scored in ESU’s 9-8 loss in the middle game of the series at NWMSU. He then scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the seventh inning of the Hornets’ 13-11 series clinching win over the Bearcats.
 
Pitchers
Kyle Moore – Missouri Southern
Kyle Moore made two appearances in relief for the No. 11-ranked Lions in the MIAA wins over Washburn. Moore came away with a 0.00 ERA in 7.2 innings with six strikeouts, no walks issued, opponents hitting .148 against him with a win and save. The right hander from Streamwood, Ill. began the week with a two-inning no-hit shutout save over the Ichabods, throwing 16 pitches in the first game of the series. In game two of the series, Moore pitched 5.2 shutout innings of relief while striking out six to pick up his third win of the season throwing 76 pitches. On the season, Moore has three wins and two saves in 10 appearances while striking out 31 as opponents are hitting .245 against him.
 
Rece Parker – Rogers State
Prescott Horn was turned in a career performance helping the Hillcats to a win in the series finale against Missouri Western, 16-1 in seven innings. The sophomore earned a quality start, working 7.0 innings and only allowing two runs on six hits while striking out a career-high 12 Griffons.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Cole Slibowski (Northwest Missouri), Cale Savage (Washburn), Prescott Horn (Rogers State), Emile Boies (Fort Hays State)
 
Pitters: Conner Wolf (Central Missouri), Ian Lanik (Emporia State), Jake Campbell (Fort Hays State), Chase Torkelson (Washburn)