Courtesy of NFCA Brian Stanley, Director of Media Relations
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior outfielder Lindsey Stephens of Texas and Western Kentucky senior Miranda Kramer were named the 2015 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively for games played over Feb 5-9.
Stephens had a tremendous opening weekend for the Longhorns against strong competition at the Kajikawa Classic. Starting all five games, Stephens hit a blistering .471 (8-17) with six runs, five extra base hits, including two grand slams and three home runs overall, and slugged at a 1.176 clip. The Beaumont, Texas native blasted grand slams on consecutive days in match-ups against UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 6) and Stanford (Feb. 7). Hitting safely in all five matchups, she extended a streak of reaching base safely to 11 consecutive games. Her weekend concluded with just missing out on the cycle at then No. 16 Arizona State. In the 9-4 triumph, she recorded a double, triple, home run as part of a 3-for-4, three-run, three-RBI effort against the Sun Devils.
Kramer was almost untouchable in the circle in her first three starts of the season for the Hilltoppers. The hard throwing lefty did not surrender a single run, allowed just four hits and struck out 38 batters, while she held her opponents to a miniscule .070 batting average in 18 innings of work. Asserting her dominance early on in the season, Kramer tossed a 19-strikeout no hitter at Troy on February 7, the first of her career. It set a program record for strikeouts and ranked second-most in Conference USA history. A day earlier, Kramer posted a two-hit 11-strikeout performance in her season debut against Buffalo. In all, the West Burlington, Iowa native earned three complete game victories and allowed just 11 base runners for the weekend.
Selected Top Performances
North Texas’ Taylor Schoblocher batted .667 (8-12) with eight runs and 12 RBI over five games and recorded three consecutive two home run games to reap Conference USA Player of the Week… Marshall’s Jordan Dixon was 5-0 in the circle with a 0.31 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work and had 11 straight strikeouts (13 total) in relief against UMass-Lowell to earn Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Week… Georgia’s Alex Hugo slugged (1.529) her way to SEC Player of the Week honors, batting .529 with two doubles, three triples, three home runs, 16 RBI and nine runs scored in six games… North Dakota State’s Krista Menke was 3-0 with a 0.97 ERA, 41 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed in 21.2 innings, including a no-hitter in the season opener against Green Bay… Big East Player of the Week Alex Kotter of Butler was nearly perfect at the plate, batting .900 (9-for-10) and reaching base safely in 14 of 15 plate appearances with five RBI and five runs in four games… UCF’s Mackenzie Audas tossed two complete game shutouts, which included a no-hitter (10 K) against Georgia Mason and a two-hitter against Boston College to earn American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week… Georgia’s Cortni Emanuel went 14-for-18 (.778) with 10 runs, an on base percentage of .789 and 13-for-14 in stolen bases to reap the SEC Freshman of the Week plaudit… Creighton’s Micaela Whitney threw her first career no hitter in a Blue Jay uniform against Pacific and went 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and held opponents to a .189 average to earn Big East Pitcher of the Week honors… Nebraska’s Kiki Stokes went 13-for-20 (.650) with a double, two home runs, including a grand slam, 10 RBI, 10 runs and four multi-hit contests to be tabbed Big 10 Player of the Week… Kayla Goff of North Florida earned Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week honors after going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings… Notre Dame’s Katie Haus batted .625 (10-for-16) with three multiple-hit games, three home runs and eight RBI as the Fighting Irish went 4-1 at SoCal Collegiate… Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Cheridan Hawkins of Oregon was 3-0 with a save, while striking out 25, 10 in a four-inning relief win, and not allowing a run in four appearances (14.2 innings)… Alabama’s Sydney Littlejohn tossed a perfect game in her first start, string out eight against Eastern Kentucky and also shut out McNeese State to earn SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week recognition… ACC Pitcher of the Week Lacey Waldrop earned two complete-game wins, did not allow an earned run and struck out 24 in 13 innings which included a no hitter against Georgia Southern and four-hitter against then-No. 6 Kentucky… Jenna Liley of Oregon was selected Pac 12 Player of the Week after beginning her career 11-for-18 (.611) with nine runs, seven RBI in six games at the Kajikawa Classic… Kelsey Nunley of Kentucky did not allow an earned run in two complete game wins, which included an unearned run in a 3-1 win over then-No. 5 Florida State… Mountain West Player of the Week Sharon-Renae Estrada of San Jose State was 9-for-20 with five home runs, 15 RBI and seven runs scored.
