WINGATE, N.C. — Belmont Abbey junior shortstop Ben Gobbel has been named the Southeast Region Player of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), officials announced Tuesday afternoon. Gobbel helped the Crusaders go 4-0 during the final week of the regular season as he hit .688 (11-for-16) with a 1.500 slugging percentage and a .750 on-base percentage.

He drove in 10 runs and scored 11 with three home runs, two doubles and one triple while also drawing four walks, stealing two bases and striking out just once. In an 18-6 non-conference win over Lander on April 26 he went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and five runs scored with a triple and a home run.

He was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI to go with two walks in the series opening 9-1 league win over Chowan and he closed the series with a 3-for-5 game on April 30 in which he drove in five and scored twice with a pair of home runs in a 16-1 victory.

Gobbel is the second Crusader this season to be named a Southeast Region Player of the Week after Sean Johnson was honored back in March. The NCBWA also released its latest regional poll with Belmont Abbey ranked No. 6 in the rankings. The Crusaders moved up two spots from last week following four wins to extend the team's winning streak to nine games.

Belmont Abbey opens play at the Conference Carolinas tournament at 11 a.m. Thursday against Mount Olive in Wilson, N.C.