Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference
MVC Player of the Week
Annie Heineman, Sophomore, OF, Normal, Ill. – Illinois State
Heineman has been a steady leadoff hitter for ISU all season long and this week was no different. The sophomore hit .550 over the course of seven games and finished the week 11-20. Two of her hits went from extra bases, including a home run against No. 8 Tennessee. From her leadoff spot she scored six runs and drove in four runs. Her .750 slugging percentage was tops on the team, as was her .609 on-base percentage. She was especially good in the Valley-opening series against UNI, going 7-10 with three runs and three RBIs. In the field, Heineman had a perfect fielding percentage.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Taylor Lockwood, Junior, Indianapolis, Ind. – Indiana State
Junior pitcher Taylor Lockwood was outstanding to start conference play as she earned both wins in a doubleheader sweep of the MVC preseason favorites, Wichita State. Lockwood finished the weekend throwing 12 innings pitched while allowing just one earned run and finishing the week with a 0.58 earned run average. She also struck out five batters with her only walk being intentional.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Sarah Finck, Freshman, P, East Peoria, Ill. – Illinois State
Sarah Finck made four starts during the week and finished with a 3-1 record. She won games over Northern Iowa twice and defeated Louisville. Finck threw 27 2/3 innings and gave up 26 hits, seven earned runs and finished with a 2.28 earned run average. She struck out 23 batters while walking 11. Her win against Louisville in eight innings gave ISU a much-needed win against a power conference opponent and opponents batted just .232 against Finck this week.
Other notable performances:
PLAYERS
Maria Schroeder, Bradley
Schroeder hit .667 (6-for-9) with two doubles, one homer, four runs and four RBI in a doubleheader at Southern Illinois Sunday. She scored or drove in seven of Bradley’s 10 runs against the Salukis, while boasting a .700 on base percentage and 1.222 slugging percentage in the first two MVC games of her career. She gave Bradley a 1-0 lead in the series opener with SIU with a solo homer in the third inning as the Braves took a shutout bid into the sixth inning. Schroeder was 2-for-4 with a home run in the series opener. In the nightcap, she was 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and three RBI. After a collecting a first-inning single, Schroeder drove in a run in the fourth to give the Braves a 4-0 lead. With the teams tied at 5-5 in the eighth, she ripped a run-scoring double and later scored to put Bradley in front 7-5. In her next plate appearance, Schroeder had another RBI double in the 10th to break a 7-7 tie and scored again to give the Braves a 9-7 lead. Schroeder is second in the MVC with a .406 batting average.
Laura Brewer, Drake
Danielle Freeman, Evansville
Danielle Freeman continued her hot streak this weekend against Loyola to open conference play. In three games, Freeman went 4-10 from the plate for a batting average of .400. Freeman hit her third homerun in six games this season. She also accounted for four RBIs making her total seven in just six games. Freeman accounted for seven total bases on the weekend and had a team leading slg% of .700. Freeman played a crucial role getting a 3-2 win over Loyola on Sunday with her single up the middle scoring two runners to secure the victory in walk off fashion.
Brooke Riemenschneider, Indiana State
Sophomore catcher Brooke Riemenschneider led the Sycamores over the weekend as they won their opening MVC series over the preseason league favorites Wichita State. Riemenschneider finished the weekend with a .625 batting average with an RBI. The sophomore also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch to hold a .700 on base percentage throughout the three-game series. Riemenschneider also had a perfect fielding percentage while playing all three games behind the plate.
Brooke Wyderski, Loyola
Wyderski hit .364 while knocking in five RBI in Loyola’s three-game series against Evansville over the weekend. She hit two-for-three with two runs and three RBI in Loyola’s 16-5 run-rule victory on Saturday, including a two-run double that was just a foot shy of sailing over the outfield wall of the Ballpark at Rosemont. She followed up that performance in the Ramblers’ double-header on Sunday, batting two-for-four with two RBI in the Ramblers’ game one victory.
Mary Stephens, Missouri State
Stephens put on one the best offensive performances in school history on Wednesday. Her 5-for-5 outing in game two against UMKC is unmatched in the MSU annals dating back to 1988. In her five-hit performance, Stephens clubbed her team-best fifth double of the season with three RBI and two runs scored. In game one against UMKC, she drove in a run and scored once. She drew two walks against Arkansas on Thursday, her fourth multiple-walk game of the year. On the week, she hit .545 with four RBI and three runs scored. Stephens’ two walks give her 16 on the season, second-most in the MVC.
Micalla Rettinger, UNI
Micalla Rettinger recorded two multi-hit games in UNI’s three game series against Illinois State over the weekend. Rettinger hit a leadoff single in the top of the fifth inning, sparking a UNI comeback win, 6-4. In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Rettinger hit two doubles and scored a run. The junior had three straight multi-hit games before going 1 for 3 in the Panthers 11-6 loss to the Redbirds on Sunday. The Panthers went 1-2 in their three game series against Illinois State to open up Missouri Valley Conference play. UNI rallied in the first game, down 4-1, to grab a 6-4 win. The Panthers held a 2-0 lead in the second game of the doubleheader but eventually fell to the Redbirds 5-3 on Saturday and 11-6 on Sunday.
Shaye Harre, Southern Illinois
Shaye Harre hit .438 with three doubles in a great week for Saluki Softball. She slugged .625 and had a .571 on-base percentage, and she came through in clutch situations throughout the weekend. She went 3-for-3 with a double in an 8-1 win against Bucknell, and she went 4-for-6 in a win against Bradley on Sunday. Harre came up with SIU trailing 7-6 in the eighth against Bradley, and she singled home a run to tie the game. In the 10th inning of the same game, Harre doubled and scored with SIU trailing 10-8, paving the way for an 10-9 walk-off win.
Melanie Jaegers, Wichita State
Melanie Jaegers collected four hits, six RBI, two doubles, and two home runs over the Shockers’ four-game week that included facing Oklahoma State on the road, and to open Valley play at home against Indiana State. On Wednesday against Oklahoma State and Sunday against Indiana State, Jaegers went 4-6 with two home runs, six RBI, two doubles and three runs scored. She also shined on defense during Sunday’s finale against Indiana State, as she caught two Sycamore runners from stealing second.
PITCHERS
Rebekah Schmidt, Drake
Samantha Fleming, Evansville
Samantha Fleming was able to grab her second victory of the season on Sunday afternoon against Loyola bringing her overall record to 2-2 on the season. Fleming went the distance in her outing pitching all seven innings. Fleming game up two runs on five hits but only one of the runs was earned giving her an ERA of 1.00 on the day. Fleming struck out three in the contest. While limiting the Ramblers to only five hits on the day, she held them to b/avg of .192.
Sarah Finck, Illinois State
Sarah Finck made four starts during the week and finished with a 3-1 record. She won games over Northern Iowa twice and defeated Louisville. Finck threw 27 2/3 innings and gave up 26 hits, seven earned runs and finished with a 2.28 earned run average. She struck out 23 batters while walking 11. Her win against Louisville in eight innings gave ISU a much-needed win against a power conference opponent and opponents batted just .232 against Finck this week.
Madison Hope, Loyola
Madison Hope gave up just one run on five hits in Loyola’s 10-1 run-rule victory over Evansville on Sunday, compiling a 1.17 ERA to claim her fifth win of the season. She held the Purple Aces hitless until the third inning and added three strikeouts over six innings.
Katie Bertelsen, Southern Illinois
Senior pitcher Katie Bertelsen won all three games for the Salukis this week, including both games in Southern’s doubleheader sweep of Bradley. Bertelsen had a 2.55 ERA in the week and threw two complete-game wins. Bertelsen allowed just one run complete-game wins over Bucknell and Bradley, and she allowed only one run against Lipscomb, too. Bertelsen struck out eight hitters in the week and lowered her ERA nearly a whole run.
Katie Malone, Wichita State
Katie Malone had a spectacular week in the circle, as she went 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA in four appearances (three starts). The Crete, Neb. native earned two complete games in 23.1 innings pitched, while allowing 12 runs (eight earned) on 24 hits, walking eight and striking out 11. On Saturday during the Indiana State doubleheader, Malone was 0-1 in 10 innings pitched (she started game one which was an eight-inning complete game loss, and pitched in relief for two innings during the second game), but her ERA was a miniscule 0.70 as she allowed just one earned run on nine hits during those 10 innings pitched. On Sunday, Malone pitched yet again and delivered another complete game, this time a win, by allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits, three walks and six strikeouts.
NEWCOMERS
Maria Schroeder, Bradley
Schroeder hit .667 (6-for-9) with two doubles, one homer, four runs and four RBI in a doubleheader at Southern Illinois Sunday. She scored or drove in seven of Bradley’s 10 runs against the Salukis, while boasting a .700 on base percentage and 1.222 slugging percentage in the first two MVC games of her career. She gave Bradley a 1-0 lead in the series opener with SIU with a solo homer in the third inning as the Braves took a shutout bid into the sixth inning. Schroeder was 2-for-4 with a home run in the series opener. In the nightcap, she was 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and three RBI. After a collecting a first-inning single, Schroeder drove in a run in the fourth to give the Braves a 4-0 lead. With the teams tied at 5-5 in the eighth, she ripped a run-scoring double and later scored to put Bradley in front 7-5. In her next plate appearance, Schroeder had another RBI double in the 10th to break a 7-7 tie and scored again to give the Braves a 9-7 lead. Schroeder is second in the MVC with a .406 batting average.
Kailee Smith, Drake
Ashlee Kawall, Evansville
Ashlee Kawall is coming off a great weekend against Loyola to open conference play. Kawall went 3-8 from the plate hitting .375 on the weekend. Kawall scored a run on the weekend and was also responsible for an RBI. Kawall accounted for three total bases on the weekend and successfully stole two bases in as many attempts giving her a team leading six on the season. Kawall’s run was also crucial in the Aces win over Loyola because it was one of two that were scored to secure the 3-2 win in walk off fashion.
Abby Klopp, Indiana State
Freshman Pitcher/Utility Player Abby Klopp had a breakout weekend against the Shockers of Wichita State as she finished the weekend with a .556 batting average and 0.00 earned run average. Klopp went 5-9 with a double and her first career home run with three RBI’s and nine total bases. She also drew a walk to hold a .600 on base percentage on the weekend. The freshman also pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing just two hits while holding a perfect fielding percentage at pitcher and third base.
Ashley Parenti, Loyola
Parenti hit .429 in Loyola’s three-game series against Evansville while compiling a .857 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage. In the Ramblers’ 16-5 run-rule victory on Saturday, she knocked in a run on a double down the left field line to go along with a pair of walks. She followed up that performance by batting three-for-six over two games on Sunday, including her second triple of the season.
Chelsea Thomas, Missouri State
Thomas continued to obliterate the softball as she crushed two more home runs last week to up her league-leading total to eight on the season. After 23 games, she is just two long balls shy of tying the single season school mark. On the week, she had a team-high six RBI, slugged 1.000 with two doubles, two home runs and five runs scored. Thomas began the week with a 3-for-3 performance that included her first two career doubles. She drove in a run and scored twice in game one win over UMKC. Then in game two, she hit her seventh home run of the season while driving in two and scoring twice. On Thursday, she cranked a three-run home run to tie the game in the fifth inning against Arkansas. Thomas is slugging .750 on the season, the best in the Valley.
Sydney Jones, Southern Illinois
Sydney Jones’ walk-off two run home run against Bradley highlighted a seven-hit week for the Florida freshman. Jones hit .368 with three doubles, the walk-off home run and four RBIs. She slugged .684, had an on-base percentage of .429 and stole a base, as well. With one run on and SIU trailing 9-8 against Bradley, Jones hit a two-run bomb to walk the Salukis off with a win. Jones reached in all five games last week, extending her reached base streak to 16 games; she has reached in 17 of 18 games as a Saluki.
Mackenzie Wright, Wichita State
Mackenzie Wright had a solid week, as she hit .357 in four games (all four were starts at third base). She he had five hits, a run scored, a RBI, six total bases, a .429 slugging percentage, a .400 slugging percentage and 14 assists. The Midwest City, Okla. native is hitting .338, which is second on the team, with three home runs, and 11 RBI on 24 hits. She has 13 runs scored, a double, 34 total bases, a .479 slugging percentage (second on the team), 10 walks (second on the team), a .467 on-base percentage, and five stolen bases. She’s second on the team in assists with 45 on the year.
