TicketSmarter WAC Softball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week Announced
DENVER – NM State's Nikki Butler and Matalasi Faapito have been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 12 through April 18.
Butler, a redshirt senior from La Habra, Calif., drove in seven runs for the Aggies last week as she slashed .571/.600/1.429 in NM State's series with Tarleton. Butler's week was highlighted by a two home-run outing on Friday, including a grand slam that broke the game open for the Aggies. On the year, Butler now ranks eighth in the WAC with an on-base percentage of .417.
Faapito, a redshirt freshman from Temcula, Calif., threw a no-hitter against Tarleton on Friday on her way to carrying the Aggies to a series win over the Texans. In the series opener, Faapito struck out five batters to complete the Aggies' first no-hitter since 2011. She followed Friday's outing with five more strikeouts in the series finale on Saturday, picking up her eighth win on the season.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Grand Canyon's Savannah Tourville finished the week 3-for-4 in the Lopes' series with No. 8 Arizona… Seattle U's Bailey Thompson batted .667 last week, including going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs on Friday against California Baptist… Tarleton's Katy Schaefer shined for the Texans on Saturday as she was perfect at the plate with a home run and a pair of RBIs… Utah Valley's Emery Nielson went 4-for-7 in a series win over Dixie State, driving in a pair of runs against the Trailblazers.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: California Baptist's Kerisa Viramontes struck out seven batters and earned a complete game victory in a pair of outings for the Lancers… Seattle U's Carley Nance carried the Redhawks to a win over California Baptist on Saturday, giving up just two hits and zero runs... Tarleton's Julia Wernet led the Texans with a trio of strikeouts on Friday against NM State… Utah Valley's Devyn Cretz earned a pair of wins last week, including matching a career-high nine strikeouts on Sunday against Dixie State.