By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tara Moates of Oregon Tech has been named the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and Nicole Nonnemacher of Saint Xavier (Ill.) has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Moates and Nonnemacher were selected based on their performances from April 13 – 19, and were chosen out of a pool of conference, independent and unaffiliated group winners.

Softball Player of the Week
Tara Moates, Oregon Tech
5-9, Fr., INF, Klamath Falls, Ore.

• During a four-game week that included three wins for the Hustlin’ Owls, Moates batted .750 (12-for-16) and had a 1.688 slugging percentage.
• Tallied four home runs and 14 RBI.
• Increased her batting average to .524, which is good for No. 3 in the NAIA.
• A model of consistency, Moates had three hits in each of the four contests. In the 14-2 victory over Eastern Oregon on April 18, she finished with two homers and a double.
• Her 88 season hits leads the NAIA and puts her tied for second on the school’s all-time single-season hits list just behind two-time NAIA All-American Torrie Phililppi who had 93.
• Her 13 season home runs ties her for fifth all-time at Oregon Tech with another All-American, Amanda Doherty.

Softball Pitcher of the Week
Nicole Nonnemacher, Saint Xavier (Ill.)
5-7, Jr., P, Bloomington, Ill.

• In three appearances in the circle last week, Nonnemacher pitched 19.0 innings and allowed four runs (three earned). She finished with 45 strikeouts and compiled two wins.
• In her first outing of the week – a 9-0, five-inning victory over Trinity International (Ill.) on April 14 – she became the first Saint Xavier pitcher and only the second player all-time in the history of the NAIA to throw a perfect game behind 15-straight strikeouts.
• Was hit with a loss against NCAA Division II Lewis University (Ill.) on April 15 after holding a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh before the Flyers posted four of their six hits in the game to rally for a 3-1 win. She struck out 11 Lewis batters.
• Earned a conference win April 18 against Robert Morris (Ill.), 8-1, with the lone run scored via unearned fashion. She notched a new school-record 19 strikeouts and allowed just three hits in the seven-inning affair. The 19 strikeouts ties her for fifth all-time in NAIA history for strikeouts in a game.
• Currently in NAIA statistics, she ranks No. 1 in batters struck out per nine innings (13.98), No. 2 in opponent batting average (.116) and No. 5 in ERA (1.14).

For more information on NAIA softball, click here.

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

The sixth NAIA National Softball Players of the Week will be announced April 28.

Player Nominees: Carly Spalding, Columbia (Mo.); Katie Blair, Reinhardt (Ga.); Mary Hall, Menlo (Calif.); Kaitlyn Skarecky, Purdue Calumet (Ind.); Alex Lovelace, Taylor (Ind.); Jasmine Aguilar, Arizona Christian; Taylor Daas, Morningside (Iowa); Lauren Geringer, Central Methodist (Mo.); Siera Spahiu, Ashford (Iowa); Brookelyn Visker, Indiana Southeast; Markie Smith, Campbellsville (Ky.); Ashley Gigax, Bellevue (Neb.); Amanda Gaffey, Mount Mercy (Iowa); Nina Gurgian, Mayville State (N.D.); Elizabeth Rodriguez, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Kyndra Holasek, Oklahoma City; Katie Cole, Brenau (Ga.); Cat Maldonado, Southeastern (Fla.); Nicky Salloum, Madonna (Mich.).

Pitcher Nominees: Paxton Welch, Columbia (Mo.); Maci Mills, Reinhardt (Ga.); Kayla Avram, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.); Kelli Peckham, Northwest (Wash.); Hannah Robbins, Taylor (Ind.); Brittani Mcgue, Concordia (Calif.); Ellie Doughty, Doane (Neb.); Haley Kinnison, Central Methodist (Mo.); Marilee Burge, Tabor (Kan.); Jessica Leanhart, Indiana Southeast; Allie Chapman, Shawnee State (Ohio); Leah Kipfer, College of Saint Mary (Neb.); Tarah Rayos, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Hanna Dunnigan, Jamestown (N.D.); Maegan Ramirez, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Summer Leitka, Science & Arts (Okla.); Brittany Bishop, Martin Methodist (Tenn.); Cat Maldonado, Southeastern (Fla.); Caitlyn Hensel, Aquinas (Mich.).

2015 Softball Composite Award Winners (Pitcher, Player) (Complete Schedule)
Week 1 (March 24): Hannah Moak, William Carey (Miss.); Alex Springer, Indiana Wesleyan
Week 2 (March 31): Reba Depriest, Biola (Calif.); Shelby Engle, Georgetown (Ky.)
Week 3 (April 7): Ashlie Layman, USC Beaufort (S.C.); Abbey Wilmes, Grand View (Iowa)
Week 4 (April 14): Cassie Jones, Auburn Montgomery (Ala.); Erica Miller, Marian (Ind.)
Week 5 (April 21): Nicole Nonnemacher, Saint Xavier (Ill.); Tara Moates, Oregon Tech