Courtesy of Codi Warren USA/ASA Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY — Six home runs and 12 RBI helped North Texas slugger Taylor Schoblocher (Forney, Texas) to USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week accolades the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. The outfielder had an incredible opening weekend for the Mean Green, crushing six home runs in 12 at-bats and forcing opposing pitchers to take her as a serious home run threat. This is the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week award for Schoblocher and the first time an athlete from North Texas has received the recognition.
“All I can say is that I’ve been working really hard and it is finally paying off,” said Schoblocher on being named the USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week. “I know I still have a ways to go, but this is already an amazing start to this season.”
In the first two days of play, Schoblocher surpassed her home run total for the 2014 season (five), going yard twice in back-to-back-to-back games during the North Texas Invitational. Entering her junior season with 16 career home runs, Schoblocher sent the ball out of the park twice while driving in five runs to help her team to a 10-6 win over Texas Southern. The Texas native continued to shine at the plate, picking up her second multi-home run game of the season against Boise State where she was a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI as the Mean Green took a 14-4 (five inning) run-rule victory.
The action did not stop there as Schoblocher continued the momentum against Seton Hall, notching another two home runs and two RBI. Schoblocher also added two more hits for 26 total bases, of which 10 were in one game, a feat that ties a program record. Schoblocher finished the week 8-for-12 for a .667 batting average, .688 on-base percentage and an astounding 2.167 slugging percentage. She totaled eight runs and 12 RBI to go along with her six home runs.
“It’s not often you get to witness a weekend like Taylor had,” said North Texas Head Coach Tracey Kee. “I personally have never seen someone do what she did and I’ve been coaching for many years. Her ability to stay disciplined and focused at each bat was a true credit to her skill set. As a university and program, we are happy to see her hard work pay off.”
The Forney, Texas native also tied school records with 10 total bases, five hits and four runs against Boise State plus five RBI against Texas Southern. For her efforts, Schoblocher also earned her first Conference USA Player of the Week accolade.
North Texas now sets their sights on the ASU Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz. where the Mean Green will be tested against two Top 25 ranked teams: No. 21 Arizona State and No. 15 Washington.
2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 5-8): Taylor Schoblocher – North Texas – Junior – Utility – Forney, Texas
About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 74 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.
About USA Softball
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles and have claimed seven World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.
About the NCAA Women’s College World Series
The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium serves as the home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS). For the 25th year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and complete for a National Championship title. Last year, nearly 70,000 fans attended the WCWS. Experience It Live May 28 to June 3 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2015 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and make a date with champions!
