College notebook: Former QU baseball players D’Alessio, Napleton succeeding at D-I level

QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University baseball players are off to sizzling starts after transferring to NCAA Division I programs.

Gino D’Alessio, an All-Midwest Region shortstop last spring for the Hawks, was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week after hitting .600 over four games as Abilene Christian went 3-1 with a victory over Texas-San Antonio and a WAC series win over UT Arlington.

A graduate transfer who is a utility player for the Wildcats, D’Alessio went 2 for 3 with two walks, four runs scored, three RBIs and two home runs as the starting third baseman in the series opener against UT Arlington.

In an 8-7 victory in Game 2, D’Alessio started at first base and went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. In the 7-3 victory in the series finale, D’Alessio went 5 for 5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and an RBI while splitting time between first and third base.

Overall this season, D’Alessio leads the Wildcats with a .397 average in 21 games played with six home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs.

Meanwhile, the Louisville baseball team opened Atlantic Coast Conference play last Friday with a 9-6 victory over Virginia Tech as senior catcher Luke Napleton, last year’s Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and record-setting home run hitter, showcased his power.

Napleton hit three home runs in the Cardinals’ victory, going 3 for 3 with five RBIs and a walk. Overall, Napleton has started 12 of the 13 games in which he’s played and is hitting .375 with a team-leading six home runs and .875 slugging percentage. He has four doubles and 16 RBIs.

C-SC hurdler earns conference honor

CANTON, Mo. — Culver-Stockton College hurdler Jabez Rivers has been named the WinWon Heart of America Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week for his performance during last weekend’s Central Methodist Open in Fayette, Mo.

Rivers, a junior who transferred from Iowa Wesleyan University, broke a 13-year old school record in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in a time of 56.34 seconds to place third among the collegiate runners in the event. Rivers broke the previous record held by Robert Harrell since 2011 by 1.56 seconds. His time is ranked second in the Heart this season.

Rivers also placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.73 seconds. That time is the third-fastest in school history and is just 0.29 seconds behind the school mark of 15.44 seconds, which was set last season.

In addition to his individual feats, Rivers also ran the opening leg of the Wildcats’ 4×400 relay team, which won that event in a time of 3:33.43.

GLVC tabs QU’s Czarny with lacrosse honor

QUINCY — Quincy University senior Christian Czarny was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s men’s lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week after scoring seven goals and assisting on three others in a pair of road games last week.

Czarny, a midfielder from Chicago Marist High School, scored three goals and had an assist in the Hawks’ 23-8 victory over Adams State University and followed it up with four goals and two assists in a 17-6 victory over Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Czarny leads the Hawks with 20 goals and a .455 shooting percentage. Quincy is 5-3 overall and plays its first GLVC game at 6 p.m. Thursday against Rockhurst at QU Stadium.