April 5, 2011

Contact: Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Sports Information & Media Services, cwaller@naia.org

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Anna Ard of William Carey (Miss.) has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week and Charisse Colston of Notre Dame (Ohio) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week, the National Office announced Tuesday. Ard and Colston are the fourth honorees of the 2011 season based on their performances from March 28-April 3. The pair was chosen out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 24 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.

Ard, a 5-11, senior pitcher from Louisville, Miss., picked up three wins last week, including a complete-game no-hitter. Against Spring Hill (Ala.) on March 28, she went 7.0 innings, struck out 10 batters in the 5-0 no-hitter. She followed that up with a complete-game, two-hit shutout of No. 22 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) on April 1. On the week, she struck out 34 batters in 21.0 innings and allowed just three overall hits.

On the season, Ard stands 17-0 in 112.1 innings of work. She is ranked first nationally in E.R.A. (0.310), runs allowed per game (0.389) and hits allowed per nine innings (2.56).

Colston, a 5-1, junior right fielder from Oakwood Village, Ohio, extended her hitting streak to eight games in four wins last week, while hitting .833 (10-for-12). She knocked in 12 runs, scored 11 times, and blasted three home runs. She posted two games of three hits and her highlight came in the 9-6 win over Mt. Union (Ohio) on March 28. Colston went 3-for-3 with four RBIs, four runs scored, a double and a triple. The 2010 American Midwest Conference Player of the Year has driven in runs in each of her last eight contests and scored at least once during that stretch.

She ranks in the top 20 nationally in eight offensive statistical categories, including second in total bases per game (3.4), fifth in slugging percentage (1.056) and 19^th in total home runs (10).

For a complete listing of all the national statistical leaders, click here.

The next Player of the Week announcement will be on April 12.

Pitcher Nominees: Amanda Neumann, Bellevue (Neb.); Leah Hensley, Bethel (Tenn.); Krystal Hathaway, Valley City State (N.D.); Nicole Sempek, Concordia (Neb.); Tiffany Stritz, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Emily Bergstrom, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Amanda Storm, William Jewell (Mo.); Alison Vanhavermaet, Viterbo (Wis.); Mackenzie Bowden, William Woods (Mo.); Brittany Larch, Malone (Ohio); Kayla Duke, Indiana-Southeast; Carlie Giarmo, Aquinas (Mich.); Lisa Williams, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Rachel Ratcliffe, Southwestern (Ohio); Michelle Dresselhaus, Georgetown (Ky.); Maddie Monroe, Reinhardt (Ga.); Molly Long, Huntington (Ind.); Samantha Gladen, Judson (Ill.); Lily Lavelle, Oklahoma City; Renee Santos, Concordia (Ore.); Tory Ferreira, California Baptist; Tina DeLuca, SUNY-Canton.

Player Nominees: Brooke Ellis, Bellevue (Neb.); Ashley Clifton, Oklahoma Baptist; Taylor Ryal, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.); Clarissa Eloge, Concordia (Neb.); Ellen Black, Brenau (Ga.); Jillian Jones, Northwood (Texas); Heather Brusokas, Davenport (Mich.); Kelly King, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Aleishia Giesey, Black Hills State (S.D.); Shelby Lamb, Union (Tenn.); Lindsey Lecuru, William Woods (Mo.); Jennifer McLarney, Waldorf (Iowa); Kayde Schaefer, Oregon Tech; Nicole Mills, Indiana-Southeast; Courtney Mienkina, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Madelyn Brown, Georgetown (Ky.); Lindsey Jarrett, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Nikki Roddy, Reinhardt (Ga.); Helen Rogers, Marian (Ind.); Kyleen Condon, Tabor (Kan.); Lindsay Henry, California Baptist; Carolina Olivares, SUNY – Canton (N.Y.).

2011 Softball Weekly Honors (Player, Pitcher):

Week 1 (March 15): Tina Galinato, California Baptist; Anyibell Ramirez, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)

Week 2 (March 22): Annalee Carr, Belhaven (Miss.); Anna Ard, William Carey (Miss.)

Week 3 (March 29): Anna Frazee, Shorter (Ga.); Brandi Richards, Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)

Week 4 (April 5): Charisse Colston, Notre Dame (Ohio); Anna Ard, William Carey (Miss.)