April 25, 2007

NAIA Softball Player of the Week
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) catcher Whitney Mink is this week's NAIA National Baseball Player of the Week after helping the Blue Raiders to a 9-1 mark last week, including three wins in four games against nationally ranked Campbellsville (Ky.).

Mink opened the week by going a combined 3-for-8 with two runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs in a split doubleheader with Campbellsville. All three of Mink's hits in the twinbill came in the team's 12-7 game-two win.

LWC's attention then turned to Mid-Continent (Ky.) for a two-game set, as the Blue Raiders came up with their first of three series sweeps, beating Mid-Continent 2-1 and 3-0. In game one, Mink went 1-for-3 with a run scored, that coming on a solo-home run that proved to be the difference in the opening-game win.

Lindsey Wilson would rematch days later with Campbellsville, this time earning a sweep with wins of 1-0 and 8-1. Mink made her presence felt in the second game of the twinbill, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a home run and one RBI.

The Blue Raiders closed the week with four games against West Virginia Tech, as Mink went a combined 10-for-13 with 11 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 17 runs batted in. She opened the four-game set with a 1-for-2, two-run outing that included a home run and three driven in.

NAIA Softball Player of the Week Whitney Mink, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

In game two, Mink pushed eight runners across the plate with eight RBIs, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a double and a home run. The then went 3-for-4 in game three, scoring two and doubling twice while knocking in four in the game. She finished the week with a 2-for-2, four-run outing that included two RBIs, a stolen base and two of her three walks on the week.

She finished the week with 17 runs scored and 21 driven in, going 18-of-32 at the plate for a .563 batting average.

Other nominees this week included: Jennifer Hibbard, Midway (Ky.); Ashley Coker, Kansas Wesleyan; Stacy Smith, Albertson (Idaho); Melody Murphy, Oklahoma City; JaAndrea Hinton, Lee (Tenn.); Tracy Lehman, Tiffin (Ohio); Tahara Pleasure, St. Joseph (Vt.); Rachel Bomgren, Vanguard (Calif.); Samantha Lovato, Saint Xavier (Ill.); Katie Pickelsimer, Thomas (Ga.); Beth Krogmeier, Benedictine (Kan.); Josie Barrow, Dana (Neb.).

NAIA Softball Pitcher of the Week
Vanguard (Calif.) junior Jennifer Olvera is the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week after earning all four of Vanguard's wins in four appearances last week.

Olvera started in the opening game of a two-game set with Azusa Pacific (Calif.), going five innings and allowing only one hit with seven strike-outs and only two walks in the run-rule shut-out of the Cougars. In game two, Olvera came in for two innings of relief, striking out four in a pair of perfect innings to help Vanguard to a 13-4 win and a sweep of the GSAC doubleheader.

In its second twinbill of the week, Vanguard took on Hope International, as the Lions got a 1-0 win in the opener thanks in-part to seven innings pitched and 14 strike outs from Olvera. The junior allowed only two hits in the one-run shut-out win.

Olvera also picked up the win in game two, firing one inning of relief and carding two strike-outs in a 5-4 victory that pushed Olvera's record to 4-0 on the week. Vanguard also finished the week 4-0 as a team.

Olvera's final line in the four-game span included 15 innings pitched, three hits, a 0.00 ERA, no runs (earned or unearned) surrendered, 27 strike outs and only two walks. Olvera also had solid at bats in four games, driving in four and scoring four more, including the winning run in game one against Hope International.

Other nominees this week included: Michelle Jones, Texas Wesleyan; Kelly Baumert, Morningside (Iowa); Meghan Oden, William Penn (Iowa); Erin Mcgowan, Belhaven (Miss.); Sarah Driver, Union (Ky.); Krista Sowers, Tiffin (Ohio); Sara Eggleston, Culver-Stockton (Mo.); Danielle Clark, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Samantha Goldammer, York (Neb.); Lisa Lawrence, St. Joseph (Vt.); Kylie Berryman, Thomas (Ga.); Melissa Wilt, Southern Oregon.