LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ludlowe’s (Conn.) Alex Lewey, Hamilton Southeastern’s (Ind.) Grace Swedarsky, Lake Braddock’s (Va.) Hailey Hackbarth, Wamego’s (Kan.) Peyton Hardenburger and Delta’s (Alaska) Nadia Chernich were named MaxPreps / NFCA National High School Players of the Week for games played May 27-June 2.
Lewey recorded two no-hitters and three shutouts, striking out 32 and walking four batters. She opened the week with a five-inning perfect game against Manchester, striking out nine. The senior followed up with another no-hitter, fanning 12 and walking three in a 4-0 triumph over Amity Regional. Lewey capped off the week with a one-hit shutout of Middletown, registering 11 strikeouts and issuing just one free pass.
Swedarsky twirled a pair of complete game shutouts, including a no-hitter, and struck out 38 of the 45 batters she faced. The junior hurler fanned 19 batters and did not issue a walk in a 2-0 victory over Carroll. Layton recorded almost identical numbers two days earlier in a 9-0 win against Logansport. She again struck out 19 and did not walk a batter, allowing just one hit. Swedarsky’s 19 punchout in back-to-back games were a season high.
Hackbarth went 5-for-7 (.714) with a pair of doubles, home run, nine RBI and three runs scored in a pair of wins for Lake Braddock. Against Robinson, she recorded all three of her extra-base hits and was a triple short of the cycle (4-for-4), notching six RBI and two runs scored. Hackbarth also went 1-for-3 with three RBI and a one run versus Edison.
Highlighted by a 30-strikeout quarterfinal outing, Hardenburger keyed Wamego to its second consecutive KSHSAA Class 4A state title. The junior also tossed consecutive no-hitters in the semifinals and finals and finished the tournament 3-0 with a 0.23 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 31 innings. In the 17-inning quarterfinal win over Clearwater, Hardenburger fanned 30 batters, allowed just four hits and surrendered her only run in the 14th inning. She came within two outs of perfect game in the title clash against Andale, issuing a one-out walk and finished with 17 punchouts. Just hours earlier, Hardenburger also no-hit Eudora in the semifinals (16 K).
Over a seven-game stretch, Chernich hit .842 (16-for-19) with seven doubles, three triples, two home runs, 18 RBI and 16 runs scored. She drew five walks, did not strike out and posted .885 on-base and 1.842 slugging percentages. Chernich recorded four RBI in contests against North Pole, Sitka and Soldotna. She launched both her home runs versus Sitka and notched two doubles against Soldotna and Kodiak.
MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player a coach must enter his or her athlete's game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.
MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on MaxPreps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.
To obtain a coach’s login, please contact: coachsupport@maxpreps.com or call (800) 329-7324 x1. To enter a team’s stats on the MaxPreps website, please click here
.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded student-athlete awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!
