LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Kentucky’s duo of Erin Coffel and Stephanie Schoonover swept the 2023 Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors. The Wildcat tandem is being recognized for their outstanding performances leading UK to four wins during the week of March 6-12.
Coffel batted .700 with four doubles, a pair of home runs, seven RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.700 slugging percentage. She recorded seven hits, drew five walks and struck out once in 15 plate appearances, posting an .800 on-base percentage. The junior from Bremen, Ind. launched a go-ahead three-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth, lifting UK to a 5-4 win over Dayton in its home opener. Against then-No. 25 Missouri, Coffel homered in the SEC series opener and scored two runs in each of the final two games.
Schoonover appeared in all four contests last week, posting a 3-0 mark with two shutouts and a save. The junior righty fanned 32 batters, did not allow an earned run and scattered 11 hits, only one for extra bases, over 19.2 innings of work. Both of her shutouts and the save came in the three-game sweep at Mizzou. She set a new UK record for an SEC opener with 15 punchouts in a two-hit gem. Schoonover blanked the Tigers in game two on seven hits and closed out the series with 1.2 innings of scoreless and hitless relief. Against Dayton, she allowed an unearned run over the final four frames in UK’s comeback victory.
The Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week are voted on by the NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll Committee.
Selected Top Performances
Ellessa Bonstrom, Utah - .500, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 1.286 SLG; Valerie Cagle, Clemson - .600, 4 2B, RBI, 9 H, SB, 6 R, .647 OBP; 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 16 K, 2 BB, 12 IP, perfect game vs. Mercer (8 K, 5 IP); McKenzie Clark, Clemson - .562, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 9 H, 1.062 SLG, .611 OBP; Caitlin Coker, Boston University - .545, 6 H, 5 R, 3-3 SB; Reedy Davenport, Clemson - .500, 2B, 6 H, 9 RBI; Deja Davis, Duke - .583, 2 2B, 3 RBI, .706 OBP, 5 BB; Sydney Groves, Boise State - .556, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1.556 SLG, .636 OBP; Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma – 1-0, 2.00 ERA, 3 H, 2 ER, 11 K, 7 IP, perfect game vs. Southeastern Louisiana (8 K, 5 IP); Lindsey Cowans, LIU – 3-0, 2 SV, 0.00 ERA, 25 K, 26.2 IP; Jessica Mullins, Texas State – 2-01, 1.12 ERA, 22 K, 4 BB, 25 IP, .185 opp. BA; Kasey Ricard, Boston University – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 11 K, BB, 7.1 IP, SHO; Sydney Sandez, Utah – 3-0, 1.05 ERA, 12 K, BB, 13.1 IP; Lillie Walker, Duke – 3-1, 0.58 ERA, 11 K, 12 IP; Brooke Yanez, UCLA – 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 11 K, 11 IP
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Louisville Slugger/Player & Wilson/Pitcher of the Week awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to legal counsel, to in-person events and the National Convention.
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NFCA Division I Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week
