Courtesy of ASA/USA Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY — After pitching the No. 1 team in the nation to three wins at home, Florida’s Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) has earned her first USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week accolades the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. Whether at the plate or from the circle, the senior helped her squad in every facet of the game this past week, pitching 15 shutout innings while also knocking in 10 RBI to help the Gators to a 6-0 performance during Week 2 of the NCAA Softball season.
“We’ve been working really hard on making good pitches, quality pitches,” said Haeger. “No matter what the strike zone is, no matter who’s batting. Every pitch is quality and that’s always been an emphasis for us. We’ve just been hitting our spots really well.”
Haeger started the week off on a high note, tossing three scoreless innings in a 16-1 (five inning) win at Jacksonville where she issued six strikeouts to the Dolphins’ offense. In her next appearance in the circle, Haeger went the distance for the Gators in an 8-0 (five inning) win over Iowa while striking out eight batters. In their final game of the weekend against NC State, a team who has received voted in every poll this season, Haeger continued upon her success in a 3-0, shutout win where she retired 10 batters via strikeout. Through three games, Haeger racked up 24 strikeouts, representing more than half of the 45 outs she recorded when in the circle.
Not only did Haeger shine from the circle, she also proved to be a force to be reckoned with at the plate, driving in 10 runs while hitting .533 (8-for-15) with a double, a home run and six runs scored for the week.
For the season, Haeger moves to 5-0 and is riding a 23-inning scoreless streak to start her senior campaign. This marks the first time an athlete from Florida has garnered USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week honors since Week 7 of the 2012 season when Team USA veteran Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) earned the accolades.
Florida will host the Aquafina Invitational next weekend at home, where the Gators will face Kansas, Liberty University, Illinois State and Mercer.
2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 5-8): Taylor Schoblocher – North Texas – Junior – Utility – Forney, Texas
Week 2 (Feb. 9-15): Lauren Haeger – Florida – Senior – Pitcher/1B – Peoria, Ariz.
