TicketSmarter WAC Softball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week Announced
DENVER – NM State's Nikki Butler and Seattle U's Shi Smith have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 17-23.
Butler, a senior catcher from La Habra, Calif., led the Aggies to a 4-0 record at the UTEP Tournament in El Paso, Texas. She slashed .600/.714/.600 with six hits, nine RBI's and three home runs. To open the tournament, Butler hit a perfect 1.000 against IUPUI, including a double, one home run and three RBIs in three plate appearances. The senior went yard in three out the four games that NM State played in and also earned two walks. Butler helped the Aggies outscore their opponents 46-13 over the three-day tournament, allowing only two of the four games to reach seven innings.
Smith, a junior right-hander from Gresham, Ore., helped Seattle U capture wins over UC Davis and 18th-ranked Missouri as the Redhawks competed in the illustrious Mary Nutter Classic over the weekend. On Friday against UC Davis, Smith struck out 15 of the 21 batters she faced and threw the first seven-inning no-hitter in school history. In her second appearance of the weekend, Smith pitched six innings against No. 3 ranked Oklahoma. She collected five strikeouts and gave up only two runs to a Sooner team that averages seven runs a game. Smith also earned the save against No. 18 Missouri as she struck out five batters and gave up only one hit in three innings.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Kansas City's Delainey Fenoglio batted .500 in five games over the weekend, including seven hits, three RBIs and a home run… Utah Valley's Jade Miller went 7-for-16 with two multi-hit games, five RBIs, two doubles and a triple in four games for the Wolverines.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: NM State's Analise De La Roca earned two wins in two appearances and finished the weekend with 0.84 ERA, including throwing four scoreless innings against Omaha on Friday… Utah Valley's Katie Zuniga helped the Wolverines earn the series win over Saint Mary's (Cal.) as she pitched 5 1/3 innings in an 8-4 victory over the Gaels on Saturday.