Trevor Baptiste’s torrid stretch of faceoff excellence may very well make him the first specialist — and in fact, the first player who does not predominantly play offense — to win the prestigious Tewaaraton Award. The junior has won 44 of 49 faceoffs, an unheard-of 90 percent, in Denver’s two NCAA tournament victories over Marquette and Notre Dame.

Baptiste’s latest masterpiece, a 21-for-22 performance Saturday in the Pioneers’ 16-4 thrashing of Notre Dame in the NCAA quarterfinals, has earned him the Epoch/US Lacrosse Player of the Week honor for the second time this season. Baptiste also was recognized for a 23-for-28 showing against Villanova in April.

But this is next-level stuff.  Baptiste has won at least 20 faceoffs in six of his last nine outings, and his 13 ground balls Saturday bumped his career total to 475. That’s No. 5 all-time in NCAA history.

Baptiste lost the first faceoff, and then reeled off 21 unanswered wins.

“It just gives our team all the confidence in the world when Trevor’s winning like that,” Denver attackman Austin French said.

EPOCH/US LACROSSE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

FEB. 6, 2017
CAM MILLIGAN, VERMONT | STEPH LAZO, PENN STATE

FEB. 13, 2017
TEDDY HATFIELD, RICHMOND | PAIGE SOENKSEN, COLORADO

FEB. 20, 2017
MIKE D'AMARIO, VIRGINIA | SARAH MARTIN, ALBANY

FEB. 27, 2017
GERALD LOGAN, JOHNS HOPKINS | ALEX CONDON, PENN

MARCH 6, 2017
AUSTIN SIMS, PRINCETON | DEVON PARKER, SYRACUSE

MARCH 13, 2017
ALEX WOODALL, TOWSON | MEGAN TAYLOR, MARYLAND

MARCH 20, 2017
TOM CAREY, OHIO STATE | KELLY REESE, VIRGINIA

MARCH 27, 2017
DAVE LITTLE, NAVY | KYLIE OHLMILLER, STONY BROOK

APRIL 3, 2017
TD IERLAN, ALBANY | HOPE HANLEY, YALE

APRIL 10, 2017
TREVOR BAPTISTE, DENVER | MARIE MCCOOL, NORTH CAROLINA

APRIL 17, 2017
DAN MORRIS, MARYLAND | DAKOTAH SAVITCHEFF, ALBANY

APRIL 24, 2017
SERGIO PERKOVIC, NOTRE DAME | MEGHAN SIVERSON, LOUISVILLE

MAY 1, 2017
JEFF TEAT, CORNELL | MOLLY HENDRICK, NORTH CAROLINA

MAY 8, 2017
BEN REEVES, YALE | OLIVIA HOMPE, PRINCETON

MAY 15, 2017
EVAN MOLLOY, SYRACUSE | JULIA COLLINS, NAVY

THE EPOCH/US LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK RECOGNIZES THE MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES IN COLLEGE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S LACROSSE. MAKE IT EPOCH.