By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kate Santos of Concordia (Ore.) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and teammate Ashley Suter has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. The duo was chosen based on their performances from March 18 – 24 out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 21 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.

The last time that two players from the same school were honored as national softball players of week was May 10, 2006. St. Gregory's (Okla.) were represented by Sharon Bell and Michelle Andrew as national pitcher and player of the week, respectively.

Santos, a 5-foot-6 sophomore catcher from Gladstone, Ore., hit .467 (7-for-15) with six home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored during a 6-0 week for the Cavaliers. In the 1-0 win against Northwest (Wash.) on March 19, Santos hit a solo homer in the sixth for the winning score. In the nightcap, she smacked two roundtrippers in the 7-4 victory. Santos provided both Concordia runs with one swing of the bat in the 2-0 win over College of Idaho on March 22. In the opening game against Eastern Oregon, a 8-0 triumph on March 23, Santos hit back-to-back homers in the third and fourth innings.

With her efforts, she now stands second in the NAIA with 14 homers and 11th in runs scored with 32.

Suter, a 5-foot-8 senior pitcher from Tigard, Ore., posted a dominating week where she compiled a 4-0 record with a perfect 0.00 ERA for Concordia. In 23 innings, she fanned 25 batters with no unearned or earned runs given up and allowed just one extra-base hit. She posted three complete-game shutouts and surrendered one hit in a four-inning relief performance in the 7-4 win against Northwest on March 19. Overall, she held her opponents to a .139 batting average for the week.

For the season, Suter is ranked No. 3 in the NAIA with 129 total strikeouts and stands 12-4 on the year with a 1.65 ERA.

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

Player Nominees: Whitney Hardwick, Blue Mountain (Miss.); Rachel Ivelia, Jamestown (N.D.); Ryler Moreno, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Yolanda Alailefaleula, Sterling (Kan.); Alex Holland, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Hannah Petersen, Mount Mercy (Iowa); Ashton Bell, Lubbock Christian (Texas); Jasmin Dresser, Concordia (Calif.); Megan Blythe, West Virginia Tech; Brookelyn Visker, Indiana Southeast; Felicia Woodard, Williams Baptist (Ark.); C.J. Browder, South Carolina Beaufort; Emma Napier, Campbellsville (Ky.); Rhea Hobson, Culver-Stockton (Mo.); Jessica Cotton, Indiana Tech; Micalah Sacre, Virginia Intermont; Dominique Hannah, Lee (Tenn.); Miranda Manchester, Central Baptist (Ark.); Gabby Bogear, Indiana Wesleyan; Brooke Sampson, Doane (Neb.); Brianna DiGioia, Judson (Ill.); Kayla Cisneroz, Menlo (Calif.).

Pitcher Nominees: Sarah Elizabeth Cousar, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Emily Snow, Jamestown (N.D.); Taylor Mohler, Bellevue (Neb.); Dawn Villegas, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Kelsey Garner, Friends (Kan.); Kimberly Hazlett, Rio Grande (Ohio); Katera Eltsosie, Lubbock Christian (Texas); Bridgett Goss, West Virginia Tech; Ciara Fraher, Southwest (N.M.); Karisa Hendrix, Williams Baptist (Ark.); Amanda Beeson, Concordia (Neb.); Jenna Harshbarger, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Summer Rattliff, Asbury (Ky.); Liz Gonzalez, Hope International (Calif.); Katie Williams, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.); Kristy Cook, South Carolina Beaufort; Caitlin Santefort, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Kamaron Strickland, Mobile (Ala.); Ashley Riffell, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio); Micalah Sacre, Virginia Intermont; Sam Berrios, Indiana Tech; Mikayela Viramontes, Menlo (Calif.).

2013 Softball Weekly Honors (Pitcher; Player):
Week 1 (March 12): Caitlin Santefort, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Latainna Eltsosie, Lubbock Christian (Texas)
Week 2 (March 19): Katie Cotta, Concordia (Calif.); Stephanie Nippert, Corban (Ore.)
Week 3 (March 26): Ashley Suter, Concordia (Ore.); Kate Santos, Concordia (Ore.)