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DENVER - Grand Canyon's Shea Smith and Missouri-Kansas City's Katie Kelley have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 14-20. This is the first-ever honor Smith and the second of the season (first pitcher) and sixth of her career (four hitter, two pitcher) for Kelley.
Smith, a freshman shortstop from Waddle, Ariz., hit .533 (8-of-15) with two runs scored and three RBIs at the Easton Tournament in Fullerton, Calif., last week. She posted a .533 slugging percentage and a .625 on-base percentage with a hit in four of five games, including a 4-for-4 game against UNLV. She also recorded hits against No. 6 Alabama and No. 13 Oklahoma and was responsible for the lone RBI against the Sooners. In the team's shutout victory over UNLV, Smith was perfect on the night going 4-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. She currently leads the WAC in batting average (.430), on-base percentage (.523), runs (36) and doubles (12).
Kelley, a senior from Coweta, Okla., went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances last week, holding opponents to a .111 batting average. She gave up just four hits over 11.0 innings, striking out 10. Kelley recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in a complete-game shutout victory over Saint Louis, allowing just two hits in the contest. She also came in for a relief appearance against No. 17 Minnesota, down 2-0, and pitched four innings of shutout ball, striking out three batters and allowing just two hits.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Sydney Raeber hit .417 with a double, a stolen base and two RBIs over four games ... Kendra Leach of Missouri-Kansas City hit .556 with a triple and two RBIs over three games last week ... NM State's Amy Bergeson hit .400 with four walks over six games last week ... Paige Bouska of Seattle U hit .474 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in five games last week.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Amber Mills went 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA and four strikeouts in two appearances last week ... Taylor Nowlin of Grand Canyon posted a 2.72 ERA and went 2-0 with a save and 19 strikeouts over 18.0 innings last week.