MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - The NEWMAC has announced its Athlete of the Week honorees for the week ending April 5, 2026, and Salve Regina University junior Luis Ortiz Ramirez has been selected as the Pitcher of the Week for baseball.
Junior Luis Ortiz Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) enjoyed two visits to Worcester during a 4-0 week for the #4 Seahawks. Due to an injury to the starter at WPI, Ortiz Ramirez came in emergency relief and worked 5.2 innings in Salve Regina's 13-1 triumph, allowing only two hits and striking out six, without allowing a run. Back in the WooSox backyard on Saturday, Ortiz Ramirez got the final five outs in a come-from-behind extra-inning win over Clark in a Seahawk sweep. In total, he pitched 7.1 innings with no runs allowed, picked up the victories in both appearances to improve to 4-0 on the season, struck out seven batters, and walked none. He has faced 73 batters this season and has issued no free passes while whiffing 15, all in neutral or road environments.
Seahawk head coach Eric Cirella '05 on Ortiz Ramirez: "I'm proud of how much Luis has matured and developed into a big-time option for us on the mound. He's been asked to start a game, pitch in relief, and even close games out … and he has been clutch in every role. We wouldn't be where we are without his stellar performances last week."
Salve Regina (17-2; 5-1 NEWMAC) starts a six-game week on the road against Western New England University on Monday, followed by their only conference contest on Tuesday (Babson, 3 p.m.) at home, and then non-league meetings at Reynolds Field on Thursday (Mitchell, 3 p.m.), Saturday (UMass Dartmouth, doubleheader starts at noon), and Sunday (Curry, 1 p.m.). All home games scheduled to broadcast on FloCollege.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, United States Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and United States Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.
