Courtesy of the Pac-12
SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Conference office announced the softball weekly honors for play from Feb. 9-15. UCLA’s Gabrielle Maurice was voted Player of the Week, while CALIFORNIA’s Stephanie Trczinski was named Pitcher of the Week and ARIZONA pitcher Trish Parks was named Freshman of the Week for the second week in a row.
Maurice (Modesto, Calif.) recorded a .733 batting average on 11 hits in 15 at-bats with 10 runs batted in, seven runs scored, six walks and a homer during UCLA’s weekend at the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas. The Bruins went 5-0, outscoring opponents 54-11. The sophomore had multiple hits, RBI and runs scored in four of the five games. She walked three times with a single and a run in the weekend opener on Friday against Northwestern before driving in a career-high five RBI later that night versus New Mexico, going 3-for-3 with three runs, a two-run homer, a pair of RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk. On Saturday, she reached in all five plate appearances against Utah State in the afternoon with two singles, two walks, and a hit by pitch, driving in a run and scoring twice. She went 3-for-4 with three RBI later that night against Hawai’i, then wrapped up the weekend with a two-hit performance on Sunday against Boise State.
Trzcinski (Adelaide, South Australia) picked up three wins at the Fresno State Kickoff this weekend, including one complete-game shutout and two wins in relief, helping the Bears to a 5-0 record on the weekend. Across 13.2 innings of play, the sophomore struck out eight and allowed just two earned runs while giving up 12 hits and only three walks. Trzcinski shut out UC Davis with five strikeouts in a compete-game victory on Saturday. In her relief effort against UC Riverside the next day, she allowed just one hit and a walk while tossing two K’s in 3.1 innings. Later that day, she pitched the bulk of Cal’s come-from-behind victory over Fresno State, allowing only two earned runs and six hits in 4.1 innings. Trczinski held her Fresno State Kickoff opponents to a .240 batting average and finished the weekend with a 1.02 ERA.
Parks (Chino, Calif.) had another stellar weekend both on the mound and at the plate, pitching 13.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA in three appearances for the Wildcats while also recording a .357 batting average. As a pitcher, Parks did not allow an earned run in three starts, picking up her second-career complete game in a 6-1 win over Drake in the Hillenbrand Invitational opener, then pitching two innings in the 22-1 five-inning game against Wright State and then tossing six innings against San Jose State. At the plate, Parks went 5-for-14 with four runs scored, nine RBI and three home runs on a 1.000 slugging percentage. On the season, she is hitting .391 with four homers and 14 RBI. The freshman leads the team in the circle with a 4-0 record and a 0.54 ERA.
It is the first-career weekly honor for both Maurice and Trzcinski, marking the 132nd honor for UCLA and the 86th for Cal. Parks picks up her second-career weekly honor, giving Arizona its 142nd selection all-time. A player of the week has been selected every week since 1989, with the pitcher of the week honor dating back to 1992. This is the inaugural season of freshman of the week honors.
UCLA and Arizona will both play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City and Palm Springs, Calif., this weekend beginning Thursday, Feb. 19. Cal heads to the Palm Springs Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. For more information, including a full schedule, visit www.pac-12.com.
Also Nominated
Player: Katiyana Mauga, ARIZ; Cheyenne Cordes, CAL; Mikela Manewa, OSU; Leah White, STAN; Courtney Gano, WASH.
Pitcher: Trish Parks, ARIZ; Dale Ryndak, ASU; Madi Schreyer, STAN; Ally Carda, UCLA.
Freshman: Jazmyn Jackson, CAL; Jenna Lilley, ORE; Haley Snyder, STAN; Kylee Perez, UCLA; Katie Donovan, UTAH.
