LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jessup’s Sarah Giles and Auburn Montgomery’s Reese Cauley nabbed Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors for contests played Feb. 10-16.
Giles enjoyed a red-hot weekend at the Tournament of Champions leading the first-year Division II program to a pair of wins at the annual tournament in Turlock, Calif. The reigning NFCA’s NAIA Player of the Year hit .533, homered in all five contests and drove in 14 runs. Giles also tripled, scored six runs and reached base via walk or hit by pitch five times. Against Cal State San Bernardino, she was a double short of the cycle, recording a triple, home run and four RBI. Giles also registered three RBI against Simon Fraser and Cal State Monterey Bay.
Cauley was pivotal in No. 2 AUM’s three-game sweep of then-No. 9 Trevecca Nazarene during the Gulf South Conference’s opening weekend of league games. The freshman hurler was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 14 innings. She went the distance in both matchups, twirling a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts in the series finale. In the opener, Cauley surrendered a run on four hits with 10 punchouts and one walk. On the season, she owns a 1.36 ERA and has held opponents to a .150 batting average.
The awards are voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee, which features two member coaches from each of the NCAA’s eight regions.
Selected Top Performances
Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez, Western Washington - .550, 11 H, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 5 R, 1.100 SLG, .542 OBP; Joe Baker, Western Washington – 3-0, 0.39 ERA, SHO, 9 H, 14 K, .150 opp. BA; Emilee Boyer, West Texas A&M – 2-0, 1.17 ERA, CG, 20 K, BB, 12 IP, .364, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R; Eleanor De Block, West Alabama – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 H, 7 K, 2 BB vs. then-No. 15 Mississippi College; Katelyn DeWitt, Wayne State University - .667, 3 2B, HR, 10 RBI, .692 OBP, 6 R; Cheyenne Eads, UIndy – 2-0, 0.00 ERA 2 SHO, 0.00 ERA, 23 K, 4 BB, 12 IP, .429 2B, 6 RBI, no-hitter vs. Wheeling (12 K, 5 IP); Grace Fisher, Wayne State – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, SHO, 9 K, 5 H, 9.2 IP; Cheyenne Floyd, Angelo State – 2-0, SV, 0.00 ERA, 10 K, 4 H, 3 BB, 13 IP, .108 opp. BA; Allison Gonzalez, Texas Woman’s - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 K, BB, 16.2 IP; Haley Guffey, West Florida - 1-0, 1.57 ERA, 9 K, 3 BB, 13 IP; Madison Hurt, Albany State – 5-for-12, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBI; Braelee Jodarski, Winona State - .500, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 1.500 SLG; Becka Mellor, Barry - .625, 5 H, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 1.500 SLG, .667 OBP; Zoey Neal, Harding - .818, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 1.182 SLG; Briana Neal, Saint Leo - .727, 3 2B, 4 RBI, SB, 2 R, 1.000 SLG; Jaycee Shaffer, Oklahoma Baptist – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 K, 3 H, SHO, BB; Hawwa Towsend, Texas Woman’s – 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI.
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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