INDIANAPOLIS – Hillsdale and Malone received nods for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Players of the Week for the North Division as announced on Monday afternoon.
 
Hillsdale runs the table in the North Division standings at 10-0. The Chargers are 9-1 in their last 10 games played and are a perfect 8-0 at home. Ohio Dominican (20-5 overall) moved up to No. 15 in the NCBWA Poll this week and are currently 9-1 in the standings.
 
The rest of the North is tough as nails with Findlay at 8-2, Malone and Lake Erie at 9-3 and Walsh, at 7-5. All six teams from the North Division are over .500 in the conference schedule crossing over against South Division opponents.
 
North Division Player of the Week
Nate Cobb
Malone
Outfield
Sophomore
Massillon, OH (Jackson HS)
 
Voted the G-MAC Freshman of the Year as a rookie in 2017, Cobb has only built on his strong year as a sophomore. His most recent body of work was representation of his five-tool skillset as the dangerous leadoff man for the Pioneers’ lineup.
 
Cobb was 9-for-21 in five games with a pair of doubles, a home run, a triple and five stolen bases. He had eight RBI and scored six runs while putting up the line of the cycle in just five games.
 
Cobb had a pair of three-hit games, stole a base in all five contests and also reached after being hit by a pitch.
 
Cobb was a double away from the cycle against Davis & Elkins in game two of the doubleheader, a matchup where he drove in six.
 
The left-handed hitting Cobb launched a three-run blast in the second inning as the Pioneers took a 6-0 lead. He singled in his next plate appearance before legging out a two-run triple later in the sixth inning.
 
Cobb also doubled for extra bases in a non-conference game against nationally-ranked Mercyhurst on Monday.
 
Cobb is now hitting .311, second on the team behind Todd Ropp, in 27 games played. He has 28 hits and is 19-for-21 in his stolen base attempts.
 
 
North Division Pitcher of the Week
Will Kruse
Hillsdale
RHP
Senior
Grosse Pointe, MI (Lutheran North HS)
 
Kruse had all of his pitches working with a nine-inning complete game gem to best Cedarville during interleague play over the past week.
 
Kruse helped the Chargers move to 9-0 in the North Division standings with his game one victory. He struck out 13 and walked just one while going the distance.
 
His 13 K’s represents one of the best efforts in the league this spring; Malone’s Roscoe Blackburn has the most in the current season with 15 against Notre Dame (OH).
 
The 6-4 righty scattered five hits and was touched for just one unearned run against his final line.
 
Kruse improved to 3-1 on the mound in his seventh start of the spring. He lowered his ERA to 3.18 and has fanned 45 hitters in 45.1 innings pitched.