Players of the Week ? No. 5
Apr 10, 2012
By Jake Knabel, NAIA Communications & Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brianne Rowley of William Penn (Iowa) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and Sierrah Garcia of Iowa Wesleyan has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Rowley and Garcia were chosen based on their performances from April 2 – 8 out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 24 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.
Rowley, a 5-foot-9 senior first baseman from Hood River, Ore., enjoyed a power surge as she connected for five home runs during the week. Her big week began with a pair of home runs in a 9-0 blowout of Waldorf (Iowa) in the first game of a doubleheader sweep on April 4. She followed that up with a home run and four RBIs in the nightcap, spurring a 7-1 victory. Three days later, Rowley struck for another two-homer game, going 3-for-4 with four more RBIs in a 9-3 win over Robert Morris (Ill.). For the week, Rowley went 11-for-23 (.478) with 13 RBIs, 13 runs and one triple in leading the Lady Statesmen to wins in all seven games.
Rowley’s 13 home runs on the season are just one shy of a school record and ranks No. 8 nationally. She is also 21st with an .821 slugging percentage and 26th with 41 RBIs.
Garcia, a 5-foot-4 senior native of Los Banos, Calif., did not allow a single run in 25 innings of work in a nearly spotless week. In a span of two days from April 6 – 7, the right-hander started and won three games while striking out 31 batters in 17 shutout innings in which she surrendered only seven hits with no walks. In her first start of the week, Garcia held Mount Mercy (Iowa) to one hit in an eight-strikeout, seven-inning complete game masterpiece. For the week, Garcia picked up four wins and one save and struck out 39 hitters compared to eight hits allowed and a mere one walk.
Garcia rates as one of the most difficult pitchers nationally to make contact off of as she boasts the 19th-highest strikeout per nine inning ratio (11.01) and the 24th best strikeout total (115).
For a complete listing of all the national statistical leaders, click here.
Player Nominees: Shelby Kindelin, Bellevue (Neb.); Brooke Ward, Tennessee Wesleyan; Kate Johnson, Jamestown (N.D.); Katie O'hotzke, Siena Heights (Mich.); Brittany Stone, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Jessaca Spears, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Amanda Martinsen, Ottawa (Kan.); Kaelin Oaks, Berea (Ky.); Amber Vansandt, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Karon Earley, Taylor (Ind.); Amy Madden, Southern Nazarene (Okla.); Hannah Cook-Kelley, William Carey (Miss.); Mallory Blodgett, William Jessup (Calif.); Brittany Arredondo, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Lindsey Lecuru, William Woods (Mo.); Julie Campbell, Point Park (Pa.); Summer Kelley, Baker (Kan.); Kayde Schaefer, Oregon Tech; Kayla Randel, Nebraska Wesleyan; Hagan Goldey, St. Catharine (Ky.); Madlyn Joyce, Robert Morris (Ill.); Rachel Miller, Azusa Pacific (Calif.).
Pitcher Nominees: Jessica Lees, Jamestown (N.D.); Heather Kelley, Kansas Wesleyan; Sam White, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Karlee Despres, Davenport (Mich.); Victoria Sergent, Berea (Ky.); Sarah Elizabeth Cousar, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Jordan Crisp, Columbia (Mo.); Maddie Monroe, Reinhardt (Ga.); Alyssa Boutwell, William Carey (Miss.); Jordan Johnson, Morningside (Iowa); Melissa Naylor, Langston (Okla.); Kate Reese, Point Park (Pa.); Erin Greenwood, Baker (Kan.); Lily LaVelle, Oklahoma City; Taylor Schmidt, Oregon Tech; Michelle Dresselhaus, Georgetown (Ky.); Natalie Newell, Bethel (Ind.); Amie Brown, Saint Xavier (Ill.); Rita Kim, Azusa Pacific (Calif.); Stephani Fairclough, Holy Names (Calif.).
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.)
Week 3: Jennifer Ringle, Lee (Tenn.); Nickayla Skinner, College of Idaho
Week 4: LeeAnn Lopez, Oklahoma City; Maddie Monroe, Reinhardt (Ga.)
Week 5: Brianne Rowley, William Penn (Iowa); Sierrah Garcia, Iowa Wesleyan
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brianne Rowley of William Penn (Iowa) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and Sierrah Garcia of Iowa Wesleyan has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Rowley and Garcia were chosen based on their performances from April 2 – 8 out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 24 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.
Rowley, a 5-foot-9 senior first baseman from Hood River, Ore., enjoyed a power surge as she connected for five home runs during the week. Her big week began with a pair of home runs in a 9-0 blowout of Waldorf (Iowa) in the first game of a doubleheader sweep on April 4. She followed that up with a home run and four RBIs in the nightcap, spurring a 7-1 victory. Three days later, Rowley struck for another two-homer game, going 3-for-4 with four more RBIs in a 9-3 win over Robert Morris (Ill.). For the week, Rowley went 11-for-23 (.478) with 13 RBIs, 13 runs and one triple in leading the Lady Statesmen to wins in all seven games.
Rowley’s 13 home runs on the season are just one shy of a school record and ranks No. 8 nationally. She is also 21st with an .821 slugging percentage and 26th with 41 RBIs.
Garcia, a 5-foot-4 senior native of Los Banos, Calif., did not allow a single run in 25 innings of work in a nearly spotless week. In a span of two days from April 6 – 7, the right-hander started and won three games while striking out 31 batters in 17 shutout innings in which she surrendered only seven hits with no walks. In her first start of the week, Garcia held Mount Mercy (Iowa) to one hit in an eight-strikeout, seven-inning complete game masterpiece. For the week, Garcia picked up four wins and one save and struck out 39 hitters compared to eight hits allowed and a mere one walk.
Garcia rates as one of the most difficult pitchers nationally to make contact off of as she boasts the 19th-highest strikeout per nine inning ratio (11.01) and the 24th best strikeout total (115).
For a complete listing of all the national statistical leaders, click here.
Player Nominees: Shelby Kindelin, Bellevue (Neb.); Brooke Ward, Tennessee Wesleyan; Kate Johnson, Jamestown (N.D.); Katie O'hotzke, Siena Heights (Mich.); Brittany Stone, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Jessaca Spears, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Amanda Martinsen, Ottawa (Kan.); Kaelin Oaks, Berea (Ky.); Amber Vansandt, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Karon Earley, Taylor (Ind.); Amy Madden, Southern Nazarene (Okla.); Hannah Cook-Kelley, William Carey (Miss.); Mallory Blodgett, William Jessup (Calif.); Brittany Arredondo, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Lindsey Lecuru, William Woods (Mo.); Julie Campbell, Point Park (Pa.); Summer Kelley, Baker (Kan.); Kayde Schaefer, Oregon Tech; Kayla Randel, Nebraska Wesleyan; Hagan Goldey, St. Catharine (Ky.); Madlyn Joyce, Robert Morris (Ill.); Rachel Miller, Azusa Pacific (Calif.).
Pitcher Nominees: Jessica Lees, Jamestown (N.D.); Heather Kelley, Kansas Wesleyan; Sam White, SCAD Savannah (Ga.); Karlee Despres, Davenport (Mich.); Victoria Sergent, Berea (Ky.); Sarah Elizabeth Cousar, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Jordan Crisp, Columbia (Mo.); Maddie Monroe, Reinhardt (Ga.); Alyssa Boutwell, William Carey (Miss.); Jordan Johnson, Morningside (Iowa); Melissa Naylor, Langston (Okla.); Kate Reese, Point Park (Pa.); Erin Greenwood, Baker (Kan.); Lily LaVelle, Oklahoma City; Taylor Schmidt, Oregon Tech; Michelle Dresselhaus, Georgetown (Ky.); Natalie Newell, Bethel (Ind.); Amie Brown, Saint Xavier (Ill.); Rita Kim, Azusa Pacific (Calif.); Stephani Fairclough, Holy Names (Calif.).
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.)
Week 3: Jennifer Ringle, Lee (Tenn.); Nickayla Skinner, College of Idaho
Week 4: LeeAnn Lopez, Oklahoma City; Maddie Monroe, Reinhardt (Ga.)
Week 5: Brianne Rowley, William Penn (Iowa); Sierrah Garcia, Iowa Wesleyan
