LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Winona State senior pitcher/outfielder Ashley Walker and Oklahoma Christian sophomore Shea Coats were named the Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively for games played over Feb. 16-22.
Playing her first games of the season, Walker used her bat and her arm to help the 16th-ranked Warriors open the season a perfect 7-0. The Shakopee, Minn. native batted .560 (14-25) with six doubles, a triple and 11 RBI. In the season opener, she tallied two doubles and three RBI versus Wisconsin-Parkside and finished the doubleheader recording four hits, three doubles and four runs. Walker added a four-hit, two-double, two-RBI performance against Saginaw Valley State and provided a three-run triple in a 4-1 win against Findlay. In the circle, the Northern Sun Player of the Week went 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA, three complete games, 12 strikeouts and did not allow an extra base hit in 19 innings of work.
Coats went 2-0 with two saves and did not allow a run keying Oklahoma Christian to a 4-1 performance at the Rattler Invitational hosted by St. Mary’s (Texas). The right-hander hurler from Tuttle, Okla., twirled two complete-game shutouts against Texas Woman’s and then-No. 13 Central Oklahoma, holding those programs to three (6 K) and four hits (2 K), respectively. Coats, the Heartland Player of the Week, earned a 1.2-inning save against Texas A&M Commerce added her second save of the weekend by recording the final six outs, five via strikeout, in a triumph over Tarleton State. For the weekend, she struck out 15 and held opponents to a .143 average in 17.2 innings of work.
Player of the Week
Feb. 25 – Ashley Walker (Winona State)
Feb. 18 – Nicole Nobbe (Cal State San Bernardino)
Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 18 – Shea Coats (Oklahoma Christian)
Feb. 18 – Caitlyn Calhoun (Valdosta State)
Selected Top Performances
Arkansas Monticello’s Kali Piha batted .625 (10-16) with three doubles, a grand slam and 10 RBI to garner Great American Conference Player of the Week accolades… Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week, Michelle George of Saint Leo, batted .667 (12-18) with three triples, 12 RBI and nine runs scored… Sonoma State’s Mayleen Mazon garnered California Collegiate Player of the Week honors with a pair of complete-game victories without allowing an earned runs, striking out eight and holding opponents to a .188 average in 14 innings… Emporia State’s Taylor Zordal batted .619, .889 in scoring position, with seven runs scored and was a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases to grab MIAA Player of the Week accolades… Midwestern State’s Katy Vandewater took home Lone Star Player of the Week plaudits by batting .471 with four home runs and 13 RBI… Lone Star Pitcher of the Week, Cameron’s Kelsey Watson, tossed 10.1 inning of scoreless ball, struck out 18, held batters to an .118 average and did not walk a batter in two wins… Anderson’s Cailah Niles was a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate, slugged 2.667 and knocked in nine runs over a two-game span to pick up South Atlantic Player of the Week honors… MIAA Pitcher of the Week, Nicole Brady of Central Oklahoma, went a perfect 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA, two complete games and 14 strikeouts in 18 innings… Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Jacee Bennett, the GAC Pitcher of the Week, picked up three wins in a four-game league series, allowing two earned runs (0.93 ERA) and striking out 14… West Georgia’s Randi Phillips batted .611 (11-18) with four doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored to pick up Gulf South Player of the Week honors… Rollins’ Niki Fogle went 5-0 with a 1.47 ERA, two shutouts and 34 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .194 batting average… GNAC Player of the Week, Sam Munger of Saint Martin’s, collected 10 hits (.476), four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI.