Courtesy of the WCC
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – San Diego senior second baseman Tatum Schultz and Pacific junior pitcher Cassidy Gustafson have been named the West Coast Conference Softball Players and Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
Schultz hit .556 (10-for-18) with six extra base-hits in five games for the Toreros at the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State over the weekend. In the first game of the season against Boise State, Schultz went 3-4 with a pair of doubles. After going 1-3 with a triple against New Mexico, Schultz was 4-4 against Maryland with a double, triple, two runs and a RBI. In the final two games on Sunday, Schultz went 2-7 with a double and two runs scored. Through the first week of action, Schultz leads the WCC in hits (10), total bases (18), and batting average (.556) and is third in on-base percentage (.579).
Gustafson had a weekend for the ages for Pacific at the Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La. Taking the circle for the first time on the young season, Gustafson held the Connecticut lineup at bay in a 3-0 shutout victory on Feb. 12th. Gustafson struck out four batters against just one walk, needing just 76 pitches to blank the Huskies. The next night, against No. 3 LSU, Gustafson held one of the nation’s most potent lineups to just five hits and one run, striking out three in a 133 pitch, 2-1 triumph over the WCWS third place team a season ago and the nation’s consensus No. 3 team, sending Pacific to victory against its highest ranked opponent since 2004. She ended the opening week with a 0.50 ERA.
The honor is the second WCC weekly award in Schultz’s career and the first in Gustafson’s career. Schultz was previously honored on March 17, 2014 in Week 6 of the inaugural season of West Coast Conference softball.
Player of the Week Also Nominated: Libby Sugg, BYU; Alicia Brown, LMU
Pitcher of the Week Also Nominated: McKenna Bull, BYU
2016 West Coast Conference Player of the Week
Week 1 (2/15) – Tatum Schultz, 2B, San Diego
2016 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week
Week 1 (2/15) – Cassidy Gustafson, Pacific
