DENVER - New Mexico State's Kelsey Dodd and Missouri-Kansas City's Cinda Ramos have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 20-26. This is the first-ever honor for Dodd and the first WAC Pitcher of the Week honor of the season and second of her career for Ramos, who was also named WAC Hitter of the Week once last season.
Dodd, a senior first baseman from Clovis, Calif., went 5-for-10 at the plate in a three-game sweep of Grand Canyon that clinched the WAC regular-season title for the Aggies. She finished the week with a 1.100 slugging percentage and .583 on-base percentage with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs. Both of Dodd's homers came in the series opener in which New Mexico State came from behind to secure the WAC title. They were home runs No. 30 and 31 of Dodd's career as she became only the seventh player in program history to reach the 30-home run mark. With the Aggies trailing 3-1 in the third, her first homer, a two-run shot, knotted the game at 3-3. Then, with NM State trailing 6-4 in its final at-bat, Dodd hit a solo shot that started a three-run rally which ultimately ended with a walk-off single and a WAC crown.
Ramos, a senior from Olathe, Kan., went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA last week, guiding UMKC to a sweep of Utah Valley and the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament. In three appearances, she posted 10 strikeouts without issuing a walk over 10.1 innings, holding the Wolverines to a .250 batting average. In game one of the series, Ramos entered in relief and allowed just one hit over 2 1/3 innings. She then earned victories in games two and three, scattering nine hits over 8.0 innings and allowing just three earned runs while striking out seven. The wins were her sixth and seventh of the season and she lowered her season ERA from 4.43 to 4.19 with her performance last week.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Bakersfield's Selena Gonzalez hit .444 with a home run and four RBIs last week ... Haley Walker of Grand Canyon hit .556 with one double, one homer and one RBI on the week ... Missouri-Kansas City's Kelsey Goodwin hit .714 with three doubles and two RBIs last week ... Brittney Vansway of Utah Valley hit .500 with one double, two homers and five RBIs on the week.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: Bakersfield's Kelsie Monroe went 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA and nine strikeouts over 9.1 innings last week ... Dallas McBride of New Mexico State went 2-0 with a save, a 3.89 ERA and eight strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work last week.