Courtesy of the MVC
NCAA-Leading Marks
In the NCAA Division I softball rankings, four teams and nine MVC student-athletes have top-50 rankings:
Drake (28th) – Earned Run Average
Illinois State (34th) – Home Runs per game
Wichita State (42nd) – Doubles per game
Missouri State (12th) – Double Plays per game
Brittany Fortner, Wichita State (49th) – Batting Average
(18th) – Doubles per game
Erika Hansen, Bradley (23rd) – Doubles per game
Nicole Newman, Drake (42nd) – Strikeouts per Seven Innings
(38th) – Hits Allowed per Seven Innings
Rebekah Schmidt, Drake (49th) – Victories
(6th) – Shutouts
Erin Struemph, Missouri State (2nd) – Saves
Yvette Alvarez, Indiana State (29th) – Saves
Kelsey Wright, Drake (26th) – Walks
Rebecca McPherson, Missouri State (40th) – Toughest to Strikeout
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State (39th) – Home Runs
MVC Player of the Week
Shaye Harre, P/INF, Soph., Nashville, Ill. – Southern Illinois
Shaye Harre hit .533, slugged .933 and reached at a .632 clip in SIU’s 4-1 week. Harre hit two home runs and piled up seven RBIs while reaching in all five games of the week and scoring five runs. In one stretch of six plate appearances, Harre went 5-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs. She hit in all five games last week and had two games in which she reached in every plate appearance. For good measure, she pitched and didn’t allow an earned run in a complete-game win at Loyola in the second half of a doubleheader.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Chelsea Ross, Junior, Kansas City, Mo. – UNI
Chelsea Ross earned three wins in three appearances this week, tallying one win against in-state rival Drake and two against Evansville. Ross tossed a complete game against the Bulldogs, tying her career-high for strikeouts in a game with 11. Against Evansville, Ross threw her fourth shutout of the season and her second seven-inning shutout. The junior made her second relief appearance of the season in the second game of the doubleheader against the Aces, striking out two batters in 1.1 innings of work to grab the victory. Ross struck out 16 batters while allowing 11 hits in 15.1 innings of work.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Mackenzie Wright, 3B, Freshman, Midwest City, Okla. – Wichita State
Mackenzie Wright led the Shockers this past week with a .400 batting average (6-15). Wright also had two runs scored, five RBI (tied for the team lead), a .533 slugging percentage, two walks, a .471 on-base percentage, and two stolen bases. The Midwest City, Okla. native’s freshman campaign includes a .352 overall batting average (50-142, which is second on the team) with 27 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, three homers, 27 RBI, 66 total bases and a .465 slugging percentage. Wright also has 17 walks, a .453 on-base percentage, and a team-leading 15 stolen bases.
Other notable performances:
PLAYERS
Erika Hansen, Bradley
Hansen hit a team-best .462 for the week with one double and two walks as she collected hits in all five games in addition to boasting a .563 on base percentage. In a doubleheader at Illinois State, she was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI, going 1-for-3 with a RBI double in the opener and 1-for-2 in the nightcap. Hansen hit .500 in the weekend series against Wichita State, opening the weekend with a 2-for-3 effort with a walk and two runs scored. After a 1-for-3 game in the second contest of the series, she was 1-for-2 with a RBI double to drive in the go-ahead run in a 4-2 victory to wrap up the series. Hansen collected her 16th double of the year Wednesday at Illinois State to give her the fourth-best season total in school history and drove in her 35th run of the season, which is tied for seventh among Bradley single season marks.
Megan Sowa, Drake
Megan Sowa had a strong week at the plate for Drake going 6-for-16 (.375) with one double, two stolen bases, three home runs, four runs batted in and four runs scored. Sowa finished with a .444 on-base percentage along with a 1.000 slugging percentage. She recorded hits in four of the five games as the Bulldogs finished 3-2 in five MVC games to remain in first place. Sowa is batting a team-leading .350 and is second on the team in home runs with seven and runs batted in with 24.
Danielle Freeman, Evansville
Danielle Freeman continues to be a force for the Aces. Freeman went 5-14 at the plate this past week for an average of .357. Freeman scored a run and had an RBI for the Aces. She also accumulated nine total bases and had a slugging percentage of .643. Freeman is now slugging .762 on the season. Freeman also was able hit her team leading 10th homer of the season.
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State
Jordan de los Reyes was a force in the middle of Illinois State’s lineup this week. The sophomore batted .600 (6-10) in four games, including a 5-5 day in a doubleheader against Bradley. De los Reyes’ six hits led the team as did her three runs scored. Half of her hits went for extra bases as she had two doubles and a home run. De los Reyes drove in a team-high three runs and also slugged 1.100 percent. In addition, she had a .636 on-base percentage and was error-free at first base.
Megan Stone, Indiana State
Senior Megan Stone led the Sycamore offense through the five Missouri Valley Conference games they played this past week, finishing with a .471 batting average. Stone recorded eight hits and three doubles with a home run and seven RBI’s. The senior also drew four walks, one intentional, and a hit by pitch for a .591 on base percentage. Stone scored three runs for the Sycamores and was a perfect 2-2 on stolen bases. Already the career home run and RBI leader at Indiana State, Stone now needs just two doubles and one walk to become the all-time leader in those categories as well.
Hannah Jenkins, Loyola
Hannah Jenkins went 4-for-19 over six games for the Ramblers last week, including a double and two home runs to compile a .579 slugging percentage. Jenkins hit a huge two-run home run in Loyola’s victory over Indiana State, tying the game in the bottom of the seventh inning to send it into extra innings. She also brought in the game winning run against the Sycamores, drawing a two-out, bases-loaded walk to give the Ramblers the 7-6 victory in the bottom of the 14th. Jenkins was perfect in the field, committing zero errors in the outfield.
Erin Duewel, Missouri State
Duewel had an outstanding week piling up a team-best seven RBI over four games. She hit a pair of home runs, both three-run blasts. On Wednesday, she went 2-for-3 at Wichita State in game one with her three-run home run capping a five-run two-out rally to give the Bears a come-back win. On Saturday, she hit safely in both games against Illinois State. In game one, her RBI single was part of the Bears’ biggest offensive inning of the season. Then in game two, her three-run home run in the seventh padded the Bears lead in Holly Hesse’s 700th win. On the week, she hit .385 with five hits, seven RBI and two home runs.
Rikki Alcaraz, Northern Iowa
Rikki Alcaraz helped the Panthers compile a 3-1 record in Missouri Valley Conference play this week, including batting 3-6 in UNI’s two victories over Evansville. Alcaraz tallied two RBIs in the first win against the Purple Aces while hitting a home run in the opening inning to help the Panthers take an early lead. Alcaraz hit her second home run of the weekend in the second game of the doubleheader header on Saturday. The senior’s home run gave UNI an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh inning while scoring three runs.
Brittany Fortner, Wichita State
Brittany Fortner continued her strong 2015 this past week by hitting .385 (5-13) as she scored three runs, two doubles, hit two homers, five RBI, and had a 1.000 slugging percentage this past week. The Cedar Hill, Mo. native also walked four times, had a .556 on-base percentage, and a 1.000 fielding percentage as well. Fortner still leads the Valley in hits (67), RBI (42), doubles (17), total bases (113), and is tied for the lead with teammate Cacy Williams in runs scored (40). Overall, Fortner is batting .438 (67-153) with 40 runs scored, 17 doubles, a triple, nine homers, 42 RBI, 113 total bases, six stolen bases, a .739 slugging percentage, a 1.000 fielding percentage and a .519 on-base percentage.
PITCHERS
Rebekah Schmidt, Drake
Rebekah Schmidt bounced back from taking two tough losses to start the week by picked up consecutive wins against Indiana State. Schmidt was 2-2 with a 1.54 earned run average in four appearances, including three starts. She pitched 22.2 innings and struck out 29 while allowing just three walks. Schmidt, who is 16-10 with a 2.48 ERA in the circle this season, has 54 career wins which is tied for fourth all-time in school history.
Cecilia Dopart, Evansville
Dopart finished her week going 0-2 on the week with an ERA of 4.61. Dopart pitched a team high 13.2 innings on the week. Dopart gave nine runs on 44 hits. Dopart also struck out four batters on the week.
Sarah Finck, Illinois State
Sarah Finck pitched a gem Wednesday against Bradley last week as part of a 1-1 week in which she compiled a 2.92 earned run average. For the week, Finck pitched 12 innings, giving up 12 hits and five earned runs. She struck out seven while walking five and opponents hit just .245 off of her. Against Bradley, Finck went the full seven innings, scattering six hits and giving up one earned run. She struck out five and walked two.
Yvette Alvarez,Indiana State
Senior Yvette Alvarez led the Sycamore pitching staff over the week, throwing 13.1 innings and allowing just three earned runs to record an ERA of 1.58 in five appearances. The Senior also struck out 12 opposing batters and hitters hit just .204 against her over the week against Loyola and Drake.
Chelsea Jones, Missouri State
Jones overtook the league lead with two more starts of zero earned runs against. Her 1.27 ERA in league games in the best in the Valley and she has not allowed an earned run in five-straight starts. On Wednesday, she pitched 6.2 innings in the win over Wichita State, scattering six hits, striking out four and giving up just two unearned runs. On Saturday, she fired her fourth complete game shutout in her last five starts. She gave up just five hits with four strikeouts and no walks allowed to earn her 13th win of the season. Overall, she is second in the MVC with a 2.22 ERA on the season. Jones also was the Bears’ leading hitter on the week with a .462 average with six RBI, three runs scored, two walks drawn and a team-high six hits while hitting in the cleanup spot in the order. She is third in the Valley with a .453 average in conference games.
Katie Bertelsen, Southern Illinois
Katie Bertelsen pitched two complete-game shutouts and posted an 0.74 ERA in 19.0 innings in the week. She allowed opponents to hit just .214 on the week and only gave up one extra base hit in those 19 innings while striking out nine. She pitched a complete-game shutout in Southern’s 2-0 win at Evansville on Wednesday. Three days later, she pitched another complete-game two-hitter in SIU’s 8-0 win at Loyola. The very next day, Bertelsen only allowed one earned run in another complete-game win, this one 10-2.
Jenni Brooks, Wichita State
Jenni Brooks had a great week in the circle, as she pitched to a 2-1 record in 19.1 innings of work with a 2.53 ERA in four appearances (three starts) this past week. Brooks’ week featured two complete games, with one a complete game shutout during game two of the Shockers’ series against Bradley. The Olathe, Kan. native earned her first save of the season this past week, struck out eight, and held opponents to a .224 batting average against. Overall, Brooks is 9-10 with a 3.63 ERA in 96.1 innings pitched (28 appearances with 14 starts). Brooks has four complete games, 52 strikeouts, and the one save, and has allowed just 50 earned runs in 2015.
NEWCOMERS
Erika Hansen, Bradley
Hansen hit a team-best .462 for the week with one double and two walks as she collected hits in all five games in addition to boasting a .563 on base percentage. In a doubleheader at Illinois State, she was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI, going 1-for-3 with a RBI double in the opener and 1-for-2 in the nightcap. Hansen hit .500 in the weekend series against Wichita State, opening the weekend with a 2-for-3 effort with a walk and two runs scored. After a 1-for-3 game in the second contest of the series, she was 1-for-2 with a RBI double to drive in the go-ahead run in a 4-2 victory to wrap up the series. Hansen collected her 16th double of the year Wednesday at Illinois State to give her the fourth-best season total in school history and drove in her 35th run of the season, which is tied for seventh among Bradley single season marks.
Nicole Newman, Drake
Nicole Newman went 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA in two starts this past week. Newman struck out 20 batters in 13.1 innings of work. On the season, she is 11-3 with league-low 2.11 ERA.
Hayli Scott, Evansville
Hayli Scott is coming off a solid week of play for the UE softball team. Scott hit .333 while going 4-12 from the plate. Scott was able to score a run and grab an RBI for the Aces. She also managed two walk. She remained solid behind the plate for the Aces as she has all year. Scott had zero errors this week with a fielding percentage of 1.000.
Sarah Finck, Illinois State
Sarah Finck pitched a gem Wednesday against Bradley last week as part of a 1-1 week in which she compiled a 2.92 earned run average. For the week, Finck pitched 12 innings, giving up 12 hits and five earned runs. She struck out seven while walking five and opponents hit just .245 off of her. Against Bradley, Finck went the full seven innings, scattering six hits and giving up one earned run. She struck out five and walked two.
Brooke Wyderski, Loyola
Brooke Wyderski made school history last week, tying Loyola’s all-time record for most home runs in a freshman season. She hit a pair of home runs in Loyola’s doubleheader against Indiana State to total nine on the season, the most for a freshman since the 2013 season and the fifth-most in a single season in program history. Wyderski compiled a .409 slugging percentage over the six-game span and also added four RBI, three runs and two stolen bases over six games.
Erika Velasquez Zimmer, Missouri State
Velasquez Zimmer extended her hitting streak to 12 games with hits in all four games last week. She doubled in each game of the doubleheader at Wichita State on Wednesday and scored two runs in the game one victory. Velasquez Zimmer also stole her league-best 10th base in conference play on Wednesday. On Saturday at Illinois State, she drove in two runs in game one and scored a run. She leads the Bears with a .360 batting average on the season and ranks in the top-10 in the league in batting average (4th), stolen bases (2nd), hits (9th) and on-base percentage (10th).
Kennedy Bailey, Northern Iowa
Kennedy Bailey hit two home runs in four appearances during the week while tallying five RBIs in the process. Bailey’s first home run came in game two against Drake, a two-run shot over the scoreboard in right-center field to put UNI on the board in the top of the seventh inning. The freshman’s second home run came in game two against Evansville. Bailey hit a three-run homer to right field to give the Panthers a 6-1 lead.
