Fastpitch News has released its February 14, 2017, Players of the week awards for the NCAA DI. This is the first week of the awards. Moving forward we do except weekly nominations. All nominations will be considered and are due each Monday by 3:00 pm eastern time. Please submit to rankings@fastpitchnews.com for review.
Player of the Week
Delaney Spaulding
UCLA
Delaney Spaulding was a major reason the UCLA Bruins outscored the opposition 48-2 opening weekend. She alone accounted for roughly one-third of those runs with her eight runs and six RBI.
In their opening game on Friday, February 10, against South Dakota Spaulding went 2-3 with a home run. The Bruins came away with a 6-0 win. The second game on Friday she continued to stay hot going 3-4 with two runs and one RBI in an 8-0 win over San Diego State.
Saturday was not much different for Spaulding as she went 3-3 with a walk and a RBI in the Bruins 4-1 win over Weber State. They then faced Weber State again in the nightcap and cruised to a 22-1 win. In that game, she went 3-4 with three runs and a RBI. The Bruins ended the weekend on Sunday with an 8-0 win over Notre Dame. Spaulding was 1-3 in the final game.
At the plate, she was 12-17 for a .706 batting average with two home runs, one triple and two doubles. That gave Spaulding a 1.294 slugging percentage.
The Bruins host #20 Kentucky on Wednesday at Easton Stadium. Live audio and live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.
Other Top Performances
Nicole Schroeder – Arkansas: Schroeder paced Arkansas’ offense at the season-opening North Texas Invitational with a .636 batting average, three home runs, nine RBI and five runs scored.
Lindsay Crowdus – Memphis: Crowdus went 11-for-14 with a pair of triples and a double this past weekend. Between game three and game five of the weekend, Crowdus had a streak of nine official at-bats in a row where she recorded a hit, making that the longest streak in Memphis history.
Pitcher of the Week
Sierra Hyland
Cal Poly
Sierra Hyland of Cal Poly started off her senior season with a no-hitter followed by a perfect game this past weekend at the Arizona State-hosted Kajikawa Classic. Hyland (3-1) took the mound against Purdue on Friday, Feb. 10th, tossing a nine-strikeout, no-hitter to lead the Mustangs to a 2-1 victory. Hyland retired the first nine Boilermakers she faced.
During Friday’s second game, Hyland pitched two innings in relief in an 8-6 win against San Diego. Hyland struck out three hitters and earned her fifth career save which ties her for the program record previously set by Eva Nelson (2002-05).
Hyland returned to the mound Saturday morning and threw her second career perfect game and fifth career no-hitter in a nine-strikeout effort and 8-0, five-inning win versus Creighton. Hyland retired all 15 Jay hitters in order while throwing 76.8 percent of her 56 pitches for strikes. Hyland reached a full count just once versus a Creighton hitter.
With three starts this past weekend, Hyland also established a new Cal Poly career record and now stands at 92.
As a team, Cal Poly (4-1) opens play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 17 with matchups versus Central Florida (3 p.m.) and No. 8 UCLA (5:30 p.m.).
Other Top Performances
Alexis Osorio – Alabama: Osorio was perfect through 11.2 innings pitched this weekend, striking out 25 while not allowing a single baserunner. She threw the fourth perfect game in program history, the second seven-inning perfect game, in her season debut Friday against Coastal Carolina, striking out a school-record 19 batters
Maggie Balint – Oregon: Balint got her college career off to a great start opening weekend. The freshman from West Grove, Pa. posted a 4-0 record in five appearances with a 0.36 ERA. She held opposing hitters to a .177 average and posted 33 strikeouts over 19.2 innings of work.
