Northern Sun Athletic Conference
NSIC Player of the Week
#24 Kennedy Thomas (P/1B, Sr., R/R, Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny HS) – Sioux Falls
- Went 10-for-21 for a .476 averages as USF went 6-1
- Held a 1.143 slugging percentage as she hit a pair of doubles and four home runs
- Led the team with 11 runs scored and 9 RBIs
- Went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in a win over SMSU
- Also pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just a single hit
NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#9 McKayla Armbruster (RHP, Jr., Faribault, Minn. / Faribault HS) – Minnesota State
- Went 4-0 last week as she posted a 1.40 ERA
- Threw a pair of shutouts against Minot State and UMary
- Struck out 35 batters and held opposing hitters to a .265 batting average
- Issued just two walks in 25.0 innings pitched
- Named NSIC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season (2/21/23)
Other Top Performances - Players
Torri Chute (AUGIE) helped Augustana to its third-straight NSIC Championship while batting .476 for the week. She recorded 10 hits and nine RBI while scoring seven runs. She owned a .810 slugging percentage and reached base in 50 percent of her plate appearances. She was at her best when the conference championship was on the line as she went 8-for-10 in the sweep of Minnesota Duluth. She concluded NSIC season leading the league in average at .524.
Other Top Performances - Pitchers
Lander Lexi (AUGIE) went 3-0 with a 3.23 ERA. She tossed 17.1 innings while striking out 20 as she held opponents to a .185 average.
#12 Kyla Damerow (BSU) went 3-0 on week with an ERA of 0.60. She threw three complete games with two shutouts. She totaled 11 strikeouts as she recorded her 12th win, most for BSU since 2017.
#44 Kait Van Der Zwaag (USF) boasts a 1.56 ERA in 18 innings pitched with a 3-0 record. She pitched three complete games while striking out five batters and only giving up four runs. She picked up a 13-0 shutout against Wayne State.
Summit League
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Omaha’s Rachel Weber and Kamryn Meyer swept the latest TicketSmarter Summit League Softball Peak Performer and Pitcher of the Week accolades, respectively, league officials announced on Monday.
Weber helped the Mavericks sweep Western Illinois in its home finale by going 8-for-11 with a double, a triple, four RBI and two runs. The Lincoln, Neb., native opened the series by going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in a 9-1 six-inning victory. In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, Weber went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and tallied a triple during the 5-2 win.
In the 7-0 series finale, Weber registered the go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the third inning and went 3-for-4 in the contest. In total, Weber posted a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage against the Leathernecks.
Meyer opened the series against Western Illinois needing just one strikeout to become the program’s all-time strikeouts leader and wasted little time, fanning the first Leatherneck she faced. She broke the record that was held since 2007 by Cheris Kuster, who compiled 698 career strikeouts. Meyer went on to strike out a total of 10 batters and allow just two hits in a five-inning complete game shutout.
The Wilton, Iowa native closed out the series sweep by tossing her 14th complete game of the season allowing just one hit and striking out 16 batters.
PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Rachel Weber, Omaha
Gr. | Outfield | Lincoln, Neb.
- Hit .727 in a series sweep of Western Illinois (8-for-11) with four RBI, two runs scored, registered a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage
- Posted a double, a triple and scored both of her runs in the series opener
- This is the first career Summit League weekly honor for Weber
Also nominated: Mia Jarecki (South Dakota State), Emilee Buringa (North Dakota), Gabby Moser (South Dakota),
PEAK PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kamryn Meyer, Omaha
Sr. | Pitcher | Wilton, Iowa
- Struckout 26 in 12 combined scoreless innings in a pair of wins over the Leathernecks
- Threw a five-inning complete game shutout in the series opener, allowing two hits and striking out 10 batters to become the program’s all-time leader in career strikeouts
- Completed the series sweep against WIU by throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out 16
- This is the 10th career Summit League weekly award for Meyer
Also nominated: Tori Kniesche (South Dakota State), Lainey Lyle (North Dakota State), Kori Wedeking (South Dakota)
Lone Star Conference
HITTER
Ruby Salzman, West Texas A&M, SR, Healthcare Management, OF, Northridge, Calif., Chatsworth Charter
Salzman went 6-for-11 with two home runs, a triple and a home run to lead nationally-ranked West Texas A&M to a series sweep of Cameron. Salzman also drove in five runs, scored five times and stole a base. One of her homers – the 66th of her career – was a walk-off, two-run blast for a 5-3 win. Salzman’s play helped the Lady Buffs extend their winning streak to 10 games.
CO-PITCHER
Tatum Goff, UT Tyler, JR, Nursing, LHP, Rusk, Texas, RHS
Goff went 3-0, including tossing a no-hitter – her second of the season – to help nationally-ranked UT Tyler claim the LSC regular season championship. Goff struck out 19 batters and allowed only two runs over 17 innings of work. In her no-hitter, she struck out six and issued only one walk. Goff’s two wins over Texas A&M International and one over Texas A&M-Kingsville improved her overall record to 33-0.
Maxine Valdez, Lubbock Christian, SR, Exercise Science, RHP, Buda Hays, HHS
Valdez tossed a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts – tying a program record – to help nationally-ranked Lubbock Christian defeat UT Permian Basin. Valdez was a hit batter away from a perfect game. It happened in the first inning, then she retired the final 19 batters she faced. She struck out the side in three innings and 10 in a row at one point. Valdez has four no-hitters this year and six in her career.
South East Conference
Player of the Week Paige Cook, Mississippi State
Paige Cook, a senior infielder from Cornelia, Ga., batted .667 with four hits, six runs scored and five RBI in the series sweep over No. 20/22 Kentucky, the first series win against UK since 2017. Against the Wildcats, Cook drew five walks and registered three of MSU's 10 home runs, which is the most in an SEC series in program history. On the weekend, she posted a 2.333 slugging percentage and .818 on-base percentage.
Co-Pitchers of the Week Montana Fouts, Alabama
Montana Fouts, a graduate right-hander from Grayson, Ky., threw a pair of complete-game shutouts over No. 13/14 LSU. Fouts struck out a combined 15 batters while allowing just seven hits and two walks. She now has nine shutouts this season, which ranks 10th in Alabama single-season history.
Maddie Penta, Auburn
Maddie Penta, a junior right-hander from Chesapeake City, Md., recorded two complete-game shutouts in the circle at South Carolina this past weekend. In game one, Penta fanned 10 batters and gave up four hits and three walks. She then tossed Auburn's first-no hitter in SEC play since 2006 in the five-inning win on Sunday.
Freshman of the Week Hannah Camenzind, Arkansas
Hannah Camenzind, a left-handed pitcher from Valley, Neb., earned the series finale win over No. 3/3 Tennessee to help the Razorbacks clinch the series. Camenzind started game three Monday night, where she pitched 5.2 innings and struck out two in the shutout victory. She pitched 9.2 of 14 innings for Arkansas across games two and three to help the Hogs capture the program's first three-game series win against a top-three ranked team.
Great Plains Athletic Conference
Pitcher of the Week Abbey Kraemer, a senior from Alta, Iowa, gave up one earned run in 30 innings pitched while recording a 4-0 mark on the week. She tied a school record with her 19th win this season and struck out 24 batters to lift her season total to 171. Her play helped Dordt to a 7-1 record this week and a program-record 35 season wins.
Player of the Week Roni Foote, a junior from Omaha, Nebraska, had a solid week in helping the Warriors go 4-2 to earn a share of second place in the GPAC standings. In the final doubleheader of the week, she was productive at the plate against No. 12 Northwestern. She went a combined 5-for-7 with 3 home runs, 5 runs batted in, scored 4 runs, and earned a walk. For the week, she hit .450 (9-for-20) with 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 runs scored, and a triple.
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Player of the Week: Sloane Quijas, Chadron State – Sr. – 3B – Erie, Colo.
Quijas had a perfect weekend at the plate against Colorado State University Pueblo, helping her team edge the ThunderWolves 3-1 in the final regular-season series of the 2023 campaign. With a batting average of 1.000, she set a school record with 12 hits in 12 at-bats. For the weekend, Quijas drew three walks while recording seven runs, five RBI and two doubles for a whopping 14 total bases to help the Eagles secure the No. 6 seed at this week’s 2023 RMAC Softball Tournament.
Up next, Chadron State will take on No. 3 seed Regis in the opening round of the RMAC Softball Tournament, which begins Thursday, May 4, at 11:30 a.m. MT at Colorado Christian’s All Star Park in Lakewood, Colo.
Honorable Mention: Gianna Haley, Black Hills State;
Pitcher of the Week: Kali Crandall, Colorado Christian – Gr. – RHP – Artesia, N.M.
Crandall closed out the regular season in a consistent fashion for the righty, shutting down yet another RMAC opponent for two more victories. Against Fort Lewis, Crandall finished just shy of a perfect game but managed to secure a no-hitter in her series opener. She registered nine strikeouts over seven innings to highlight an excellent day in the circle. She followed it up with another victory in her final regular-season start on Saturday when she tossed eight innings of work, allowing just four hits while ringing up six batters.
After securing the RMAC regular season softball title, the Cougars are set to host the RMAC Softball Tournament as the No. 1 seed. As the tournament’s top seed, Colorado Christian earns a first-round bye and awaits the winner of No. 4 seed Colorado Mesa and No. 5 seed Colorado School of Mines. CCU will open the postseason on Thursday, May 4, at 2 p.m.
Each game at the RMAC Softball Tournament will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network.
Honorable Mention: Shayla Tuschen, Black Hills State;
North Star Athletic Association
(NSAA) announced their final edition of the softball Players-of-the-Week Monday. Lauren Jurek of Bellevue (Neb.) was selected as the Pitcher-of-the-Week. Ari Martinez of Dickinson State (N.D.) earned the Player-of-the-Week.
North Star Athletic Association Softball Pitcher-of-the-Week
Lauren Jurek – Bellevue (Neb.) – senior – pitcher – Bellevue, Neb. – Jurek went 3-0 record in the pitching circle as Bellevue (Neb.) went 9-1 record for the week, clinching the North Star Athletic Association softball regular-season outright title. She tossed 20 total innings for the week, allowing five runs (three unearned) on 18 hits. She struck out a total of 24 times and held an earned run average of 0.70. Jurek tossed three complete games during the week. Offensively, she registered a batting average of .407 (11-of-27 at the plate) with five doubles and drove in 14 runs. Jurek had a slugging percentage of .593.
North Star Athletic Association Softball Player-of-the-Week
Ari Martinez – Dickinson State (N.D.) – sophomore – utility – Arleta, Calif. – Martinez batted .684 with four doubles, a triple, and drove in ten runs as Dickinson State (N.D.) closed their regular-season schedule with a 5-0 record to balloon their winning streak to 10 games. Martinez posted a slugging percentage of 1.000 and an on-base percentage of .700. Martinez also added 9 1/3 innings of scoreless work in the pitching circle, where she held the opponents to five hits and recorded six strikeouts.
Big Ten Conference
Player of the Week
Cora Bassett, Indiana
RS-Jr. – UT – Newburgh, Ind. – Castle – Major: Management and Human Organization
• Batted .500 with a .917 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage last week as Indiana swept three games on the road at conference foe Michigan (prior to the weekend, the Hoosiers had won three times total against the Wolverines from 1997-2022)
• Tallied six hits (including a triple and a home run), five runs scored and two RBI during the weekend series
• Surpassed her own school record for runs in a season (62; previously 57 in 2022) and hit her third leadoff home run this season in Sunday’s series finale
• Selected for Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021 (while attending Purdue)
• Earns her first Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last Indiana Player of the Week: Taylor Minnick (April 3, 2023)
Pitcher of the Week
Autumn Pease, Minnesota
5th-Yr. – RHP – Murrieta, Calif. – Murrieta Mesa – Major: Kinesiology
• Posted a 3-0 record, 0.35 ERA and two complete games during 20.0 innings in the circle last week, contributing to two shutouts (one solo, one combined) with 23 strikeouts and two walks as the Golden Gophers swept conference series on the road at Wisconsin (two games) and Ohio State (three games)
• Tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout in Sunday’s finale at Ohio State, striking out six
• Worked the first six innings in an April 25 shutout at Wisconsin, yielding just one hit with nine strikeouts
• Scattered seven hits and gave up one run while fanning eight in a complete-game victory at OSU on April 28
• Twice has been chosen for Academic All-Big Ten recognition (2021, 2022)
• Collects her fourth career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award and third this season
• Last Minnesota Pitcher of the Week: Autumn Pease (April 24, 2023)
Freshman of the Week
Taryn Kern, Indiana
Fr. – 2B – San Jose, Calif. – Archbishop Mitty – Major: Undeclared
• Registered a .455 batting average, 1.091 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage for the Hoosiers in last weekend’s series sweep at Michigan
• Logged five hits (including two home runs and a double), five runs scored and five RBI in the three-game set
• Hit a pair of two-run home runs in the nightcap of an April 29 doubleheader with the Wolverines
• Leads the nation with 21 home runs this season, second-most by a Big Ten freshman (23 by Michigan’s Sierra Romero in 2013) and tied for seventh-most in conference history (Big Ten record is 24 by Illinois’ Angelena Mexicano in 2008)
• Captures her fifth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, tying for third-most in conference history (most since Michigan pitcher Meghan Beaubien was a five-time honoree in 2018)
• Also a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week selection this season
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Taryn Kern (April 24, 2023)
Mid America Conference
MAC Softball Player of the Week
McKenna Mulholland, Redshirt Freshman, Ball State
Redshirt freshman McKenna Mulholland helped the Cardinals clinch a berth in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament by batting .529 last week, including a career-best 4-for-4 day in the series finale at Akron. She also led the Ball State offense with six RBI over the team’s six games, including three in Sunday’s 5-4 victory over the Zips. She helped the Cardinals establish a new program record for home runs in a game, blasting a solo shot to left field in the series opener at Akron for the fourth of six Ball State solo home runs in the contest. Mulholland also added a sac fly to drive in the final run of Ball State’s 10-0 (5) run rule victory over Miami, marking the most runs the RedHawks have given up in a league game this season. In addition to her .529 batting average, she finished the week with a .824 slugging percentage, with two doubles and a home run, along with a .526 on base percentage.
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Macy Irelan, Freshman, Kent State
Macy Irelan was dominant in the circle this past week, posting a 5-0 record and 1.02 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .190 batting average. Irelan tossed a pair of complete games and had a 6.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27.1 innings inside of the circle. The freshman started the week with a career-high 14 strikeouts and 0 walks in a complete game victory against Buffalo. She retired 10 of 12 batters in a relief appearance to earn a victory in the second game of the series. Irelan earned a win in all three games of the weekend series at Bowling Green, beginning with a complete game on Saturday. She allowed just one hit over four innings for a combined shutout in the series finale on Sunday.
Big 12 Conference
Oklahoma swept the Big 12’s 2023 penultimate weekly softball honors with Jayda Coleman (Player) and Jordy Bahl (Pitcher) securing awards. Bahl and Coleman helped the Sooners sweep Kansas and clinch their league-record 11th straight Big 12 Softball title and 15th overall under head coach Patty Gasso. This is the second weekly award this season for both players.
Coleman batted .667 (6-for-9) with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs on the weekend with a 1.556 slugging percentage. The junior centerfielder scored five runs and tallied 14 total bases while drawing one walk and stealing a base. The two-time NFCA First Team All-American’s .443 career batting average ranks second in Big 12 history.
Bahl threw 6.2 scoreless innings in two appearances during the weekend. The sophomore threw a complete-game shutout in OU’s 8-0 five-inning victory over the Jayhawks while giving up just four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts for her sixth individual shutout of the season. The native of Papillion, Nebraska closed out Sunday’s game three, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings while holding KU to one hit to go with three strikeouts and zero walks. The 2022 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year’s 1.09 career ERA (min. 150 IP) ranks third all-time among league pitchers.
