Northern Sun Conference
NSIC Player of the Week
#14 Ashton Dorman (C/IF, 5-7, Fr., R/R, Sioux Falls, S.D. / Lincoln HS) - Augustana
- Batted .500 as the Vikings went 3-0
- Recorded five hits in 10 at bats with two home runs and a double
- Added three RBIs
- Went 3-for-4 with a RBI in a 12-6 win over Missouri S&T
- Owned a 1.200 slugging percentage over the three games
NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#16 Kristi Pilz (RHP, 5-9, Jr., R/R, Stacy, Minn. / North Branch HS) – Concordia-St. Paul
- Owned a 0.68 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched over two appearances
- Gave up one earned run and held opposing batters to a .184 average
- Held Wheeling University to one run on four hits while striking out three over 7.0 innings
- Pitched 3.1 innings in relief against Ferris State, giving up three hits and no earned runs
Summit League
North Dakota State infielder Bella Dean and South Dakota State pitcher Tori Kniesche garnered the latest TicketSmarter Summit League Softball Peak Performer and Pitcher of the Week accolades, respectively, league officials announced on Monday.
Bean jump started a pair of Bison comebacks over the weekend with a pair of clutch home runs. The Sherrard, Ill., native hit her first career home run in the sixth inning to score the first run in a nine unanswered run comeback win against Idaho State.
Dean hit an RBI double for the opening run of the game against Drake and tied the game in the top of the seventh inning with her second home run of the weekend. NDSU would go on to add two more runs in the inning to come from behind again. She hit .375 overall, slugged 1.250 and also had a walk for a .444 on-base percentage.
Kniesche picked up two victories at the Jayhawk Invitational and started it off with a complete game shutout win against Central Arkansas. The Wayne, Neb., native threw seven innings and gave up just three hits and two walks with a season-high 10 strikeouts against the Sugar Bears.
Against Kansas, Kniesche led the Jackrabbits to a 2-1 win where she threw another complete game outing with eight strikeouts and gave up one run on three hits. She lowered her ERA on the season to 1.94 which ranks second in the league.
PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Bella Dean, North Dakota State
Fr. | DP/1B | Sherrard, Ill.
Also nominated: Emma Osmundson, South Dakota State (SF Lincoln)
PEAK PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Tori Kniesche, South Dakota State
Jr. | Pitcher | Wayne, Neb.
Also nominated: Clara Edwards (South Dakota)
North Star Conference
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) announced its third edition of the softball Players-of-the-Week Monday. Cory Carrillo of Bellevue (Neb.) was chosen as the Pitcher-of-the-Week. Hailey Enriquez of Dickinson State (N.D.) was selected as the Player-of-the-Week.
North Star Athletic Association Softball Pitcher-of-the-Week
Cory Carrillo – Bellevue (Neb.) – Junior – pitcher – Park, Calif. – Carrillo earned a pair of pitching victories as Bellevue (Neb.) went 4-2 record during their week in Florida. She collected her first win of the week in BU's 6-4 victory over Calumet (Ind.), tossing 2 2/3 innings and allowing an unearned run on one hit. Carrillo followed up with a complete game victory after striking out 14 batters in Bruins' 2-0 shutout win over Dordt (Iowa). The 14 strikeouts tied for fourth in school history for single-game strikeouts by a pitcher. For the week, Carrillo worked for 10 innings and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 1.40. She struck out a total of 16 batters and allowed three runs (two unearned) on seven hits.
Lone Star Conference
HITTER
Hope Banales, Lubbock Christian, JR, Biology, OF, Tuscon, Ariz., Canyon Del Oro
Banales had 11 hits – five doubles – with seven RBIs to lead Lubbock Christian to a 5-1 week in conference play. She scored five runs and did not strike out. Banales hit safely in all six games (against Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Kingsville) and had a double in all but one.
PITCHER
Alyssa LeBlanc, Texas Woman’s, JR, Sport Management, RHP, Katy, Texas, KHS
LeBlanc set the Lone Star Conference record for strikeouts in a game with 23 against Angelo State. In the right-hander’s record-setting performance, she hurled 11 shutouts innings. LeBlanc scattered seven hits and allowed only two earned runs over 12 1/3 innings. On the week, LeBlanc struck out 27 batters over 16 1/3 innings.
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Player of the Week: Ashley Bradford, Colorado Mesa – R-Sr. – SS – Tucson, Ariz.
Bradford hit .667 (12-for-18) and slugged 1.500 as she recorded four doubles, a triple and three home runs while notching 10 runs and 13 RBI during the Mavs' series sweep of New Mexico Highlands. She also drew a walk, stole a base and secured a .684 on-base percentage to go along with a 2.184 OPS. On Saturday alone, she went 8-for-10 with six extra-base hits, three doubles and three homers, and eight RBI. She also had four RBI on a 3-for-4 effort with a double and triple during the Mavs' 15-0 win to begin Sunday’s doubleheader.
Honorable Mention: Ashlynn Pauwels, Black Hills State
Pitcher of the Week: Kali Crandall, Colorado Christian – Gr. – RHP – Artesia, N.M.
Crandall was unstoppable yet again in the circle as she snagged three more wins against Mines last weekend. Her first start saw a seven-inning victory with only two hits allowed and 12 strikeouts. She then appeared in relief in the next game, throwing 1.2 innings to pick up another win with just one hit allowed. She closed on day two with a complete game shutout and three more strikeouts. For the weekend, Crandall totaled 16 strikeouts and allowed a mere two runs in three appearances.
Honorable Mention: Shayla Tuschen, Black Hills State (Sioux Falls Roosevelt)
GPAC Conference
Pitcher – Aliyah Rincon, Midland University
Aliyah Rincon of Midland University is this week's GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports pitcher-of-the-week. Rincon, a junior from Granada Hills, California, picked up three wins this week in the circle as the Warriors went 4-0 in Kansas. In a shutout win over Tabor, she racked up 11 strikeouts while allowing just three hits. On Sunday, she went 8.0 innings, allowed no earned runs, and struck out eight batters as Midland won 3-2 in extra innings. At the plate, this week she went 7-for-12, with a double and two stolen bases while scoring three runs.
Player – Sydney Petersen, Morningside University (2nd Base)
Sydney Petersen of Morningside University is this week's GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports softball player-of-the-week. Petersen, a senior from Omaha, Nebraska, went 11-for-18 (.611) at the plate in six games for the Mustangs last week. She totaled seven runs scored, two homers, 10 RBIs and a stolen base. She had a 1.111 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .667.
South East Conference
Co-Players of the Week
Erin Coffel, Kentucky, a junior shortstop from Bremen, Ind. Hit .700 with seven hits, seven runs scored and seven RBI in a 4-0 week for the Wildcats. Coffel tallied three doubles, two home runs and six walks in the win over Dayton and the series sweep at No. 25/23 Missouri.
Kiki Milloy, Tennessee , a senior outfielder from Woodinville, Wash., batted .625 with five hits, eight runs scored and eight RBI in a 4-0 week for the Lady Vols. Milloy recorded three home runs in the series sweep of Ole Miss, including a grand slam on Friday, the third of her career.
Pitcher of the Week
Stephanie Schoonover, Kentucky, a junior right-hander from Dothan, Ala., earned three wins and a save against Dayton and at No. 25/23 Missouri. Schoonover threw 19.2 innings without allowing an earned run, and set the UK record for an SEC opening game with 15 strikeouts on Friday night. She finished the week with 32 strikeouts and held her opponents to a .162 batting average.
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee, a right-handed pitcher from Weaverville, N.C., tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout to help Tennessee earn the series sweep over Ole Miss. Pickens struck out eight batters in the first SEC start of her career.
Riley Valentine, Texas A&M, a freshman outfielder from Phoenix, Ariz., batted .600 with three hits, three runs scored and two RBI in the series win at No. 6/7 Arkansas. Valentine notched her fifth home run of the season with a solo shot in the fourth inning for the first run of the game.
Big Ten Conference
Player AND Co-Freshman of the Week
Taryn Kern, Indiana
Fr. – 2B – San Jose, Calif. – Archbishop Mitty – Major: Undeclared
• Batted .625 with a 1.500 slugging percentage and .682 on-base percentage while helping Indiana to a 6-0 record last week, including five wins at the Lady Bison Classic in Nashville, Tenn.
• Registered four home runs, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored while collecting 10 hits (six for extra bases)
• Had home runs in four of the Hoosiers’ six games, as well as at least one hit and one RBI in all six contests (scoring runs in five of them), highlighted by a home run and four RBI each in wins over Lipscomb (March 10) and Evansville (March 11)
• Earns her first career Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last Indiana Player of the Week: Bella Norton (May 11, 2021)
• Captures her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week award
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Taylor Minnick (April 11, 2022)
Pitcher of the Week
Autumn Pease, Minnesota
5th-Yr. – RHP – Murrieta, Calif. – Murrieta Mesa – Major: Kinesiology
• Went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two complete-game shutouts and 33 strikeouts (one walk) in 18.2 innings of work during a 3-1 week for Minnesota
• Tossed a three-hit shutout over North Dakota State with nine strikeouts and no walks on March 9 at the Gopher Indoor Classic inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis
• Came back two days later at the same tournament and threw a one-hit, six-inning shutout over Idaho State, striking out 12 while, again, not walking a batter
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2021, 2022)
• Collects her second career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award
• Last Minnesota Pitcher of the Week: Emily Leavitt (May 9, 2022)
Co-Freshman of the Week
Keira Bucher, Maryland
RHP – San Diego, Calif. – Mission Bay – Major: Undeclared
• Factored into three of Maryland’s four wins at last weekend’s Liberty Flames Classic in Lynchburg, Va.
• Posted a 1-0 record with two saves, giving her a national-best eight saves in 14 appearances this season (already just three saves off the Big Ten record set last year by Northwestern’s Danielle Williams)
• Allowed just one hit in 4.2 innings, helping the nationally ranked Terrapins to their best start since 2008 (19-4 record)
• Captures her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week award
• Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Jaeda McFarland (May 11, 2021)
Big 12 Conference
Texas Tech’s Makinzy Herzog (Player) and Oklahoma State’s Kyra Aycock (Pitcher) secured Big 12 softball honors for the fifth week of the season. Herzog led the Red Raiders to a 5-0 record at the Texas Tech Invitational helping TTU outscore its opponents 57-12. Aycock started OSU’s second game against then-No. 5 Florida State and helped the Cowgirls bounce back with a win on their way to taking the series.
Herzog led the league for the week with a .714 batting average (minimum 10 at-bats), 10 hits, eight runs scored, 18 total bases, and a 1.286 slugging percentage. The Texas A&M transfer ranked second in home runs (2) and RBIs (8) while helping Texas Tech pick up its 20th win of the season, marking its best start since 2019.
The lone true freshman of OSU’s pitching staff, Aycock tallied the fifth win of her young career as the Cowgirls’ starter in their 9-1 run-rule victory over the Seminoles, the largest margin of victory over a top-five ranked team in school history. Aycock threw a complete game, allowing just one run, two hits and zero walks while striking out five. She held FSU batters to a .118 batting average.
This is the first league honor for both players. A full list of the season’s honors can be found here.
Minnesota College Athletic Conference
Taylor Shepard, right-handed pitcher for Minnesota North College - Itasca has been named the MCAC North Division Softball Pitcher of the Week after going 1-1 during the week. Shepard struck out 8, while giving up 15 hits and 7 earned runs in her 13 innings in the circle. Zakia Herron, short stop for Central Lakes College, earned this week's MCAC North Division Softball Position Player of the Week award. Herron went 10 for 18 from the plate, with a .556 batting average, and blasted a home run, 3 doubles, and a triple in her four games.
There were no nominations for this week's MCAC South Division Softball Pitcher of the Week award. Anoka-Ramsey Community College catcher, Emma Hurd, went 10 for 18 from the plate with a home run, a triple, and a double, while stealing 3 bases and scoring 6 runs during the week. Hurd's .556 batting average helped the Golden Rams pick up three more wins and earn her the MCAC South Division Softball Position Player of the Week honor.
Mid America Conference
MAC Softball Player of the Week
Michaleigh Vallimont, Junior, Central Michigan
Michaleigh Vallimont was an offensive spark for the Chippewas in their long week full of games across Florida and Minnesota. Vallimont ended the 8 game week with 13 hits in 29 at bats for a .448 batting average. On the week she also earned a slugging percentage of .724 and drove in 3 runs. The junior outfielder sits at a .409 batting average on the year, which has her in 4th place in the MAC. Along side of being consistent at the plate for the Chippewas, Vallimont delivered power for the Maroon & Gold. This weekend she had two doubles and knocked two balls over the fence for round trippers.
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Madelyn Wallace, Sophomore, Central Michigan
Madelyn Wallace took the start for the Chippewas once in th
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Tiffany Thompson
College of Saint Benedict
Jr. | Outfield
New York Mills, Minn.
Tiffany Thompson hit .440 (11-for-25) with a team-high 10 runs batted in to lead the Bennies to a 9-1 record last week. Thompson finished the week with an OPS of 1.100, a slugging percentage of .600, and an on-base percentage of .500. She tallied three multi-hit games and four extra-base hits during the ten-game span.
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Elly Novak
College of Saint Benedict
Sr. | Right-handed Pitcher
Montgomery, Minn. | Tri-City United
Elly Novak posted a 5-1 record and added a save in her seven appearances in the circle for the Bennies in Florida last week. Novak posted an earned run average of 1.22 and a WHIP of .79. She allowed 22 total hits and six earned runs with 42 strikeouts and five walks across 34.1 innings of work.
long game week, but finished the week with a 2-1 record. The sophomore has stepped into an important role for the Chippewas this season and has excelled in it. In her start against Southern Indiana, Wallace threw for five innings and allowed 4 hits. The most significant appearance for Wallace over the week was the win against St. Thomas on Sunday, March 12th. Wallace entered when the Chippewas were down 4-1. Wallace completed the game for the Chippewas, which they came back to win 8-5 in eight innings. Wallace allowed only three hits and one run over 6.1 innings pitched.
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
Softball Player of the Week
Softball Player of the Week
 |
 |
|
----- USA Softball of South Dakota State Commissioner |
