By Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Communications & Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Brittany Kent of Lubbock Christian (Texas) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and Kelly Robey of Union (Tenn.) has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Kent and Robey are the second honorees of the 2012 season. The pair was chosen, based on their performances from March 12 - 18 out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 24 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.

Kent, a 5-foot-4 senior outfielder from Carlsbad, N.M., led LCU to a 10-1 record at the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational Games last week. Kent topped the Lady Chaps with a .632 batting average where she had 24 hits in 38 at-bats and produced five doubles, three triples, a homer and 16 RBI. She had a 1.000 slugging mark and was perfect in her steal attempts going 12-for-12. She had eight multi-hit games, including four contests of three-plus base knocks.

In NAIA statistics, Kent ranks first in triples (6), stolen bases (23) and 12th in total hits (42).

Robey, a 5-foot-10, freshman pitcher from New Madrid, Mo., went 3-0 on the week including a win over No. 6 Belhaven (Miss.) on March 17. The freshman recorded 28 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched with wins over Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) and Spring Hill (Ala.). In the conference 2-0 shutout of Freed-Hardeman, she struck out the side three times in seven innings as a part of her 13 K's. In the 4-3 win over Spring Hill, she entered the game in relief after Union was down 3-0 and kept Spring Hill off the board for the final 5.1 innings of work. She wrapped up the week with a 7-6 win over Belhaven, where she struck out seven and gave up four earned runs.

Robey is 10-1 on the season with a 1.42 ERA. She ranks 12th in the NAIA in wins and 14th in batters struck out per nine innings (11.92).

Pitcher Nominees: Kiara Bonner, Central Baptist (Ark.); Danelle Billings, Evangel (Mo.); Kaitlyn Bourg, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Heather Oakley, Campbellsville (Ky.); Erin O'Donnell, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Nickayla Skinner, College of Idaho; Stephanie Patterson, Kansas Wesleyan; Erika Tatum, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Lana Lazar, Brenau (Ga.); Jamie Tanno, Park (Mo.); Emily Tweedy, Taylor (Ind.); Amanda Fama, Concordia (Calif.); Brooke Jones, Blue Mountain (Miss.); Maureen Sandidge, Webber International (Fla.); Aryssa Puckett, Union (Ky.); Mary Ann Warford, Asbury (Ky.); Brooke Sampson, Doane (Neb.); Jackie Barley, Madonna (Mich.); Ariel Gomez, Houston-Victoria (Texas).

Pitcher Nominees: Jessica Bock, Central Baptist (Ark.); Ali Thompson, Shawnee State (Ohio); Karlee Despres, Davenport (Mich.); Jennifer Garcia, Bethany (Kan.); Lenzie Boring, Evangel (Mo.); Jennifer Whitehead, William Penn (Iowa); Nickayla Skinner, College of Idaho; Keely Bracelin, Northwestern (Iowa); Justine Riner, Park (Mo.); Katie Cotta, Concordia (Calif.); Kristen Little, Shorter (Ga.); Kaitlyn Grimail, Warner (Fla.); Marcie McDougle, Huntington (Ind.); Abby Sears, Union (Ky.); Maris Harreld, Asbury (Ky.); Lily LaVelle, Oklahoma City; Jori Boren, Robert Morris (Ill.).

2012 Softball Weekly Honors (Player, Pitcher):
Week 1: Jordan Reynolds, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Brooke Thomas, Union (Tenn.)
Week 2: Brittany Kent, Lubbock Christian (Texas); Kelly Robey, Union (Tenn.)