LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Ashley Garcia of Linfield College and Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Rebekah Ragsdale have been selected as the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

Garcia, a senior third baseman for the (4-0) Wildcats, had a .780 average (7-of-9) with three doubles, a home run, seven runs batted in and two walks in Linfield’s first four games. The Beaverton, Ore., native excelled in four five-inning wins against Lewis and Clark, during which her team outscored the Pioneers 36-0. Garcia was particularly effective in a pair of 10-0 wins, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in one, and 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBI in the other.

Ragsdale, a senior right-hander from Orange, Texas, went 2-0 in a 4-1 week for the (4-5) Crusaders. She pitched three innings of one-hit relief in a 7-1 loss to Texas Lutheran before allowing one baserunner (via a walk) and collecting six strikeouts while pitching a five-inning no-hitter in a 9-0 triumph over Howard Payne in the first game of a three-game American Southwest Conference series. In the middle game against the Yellow Jackets, Ragsdale had 10 strikeouts and allowed six hits and a walk in a 2-1 victory.

Other Selected Top Performances

East Texas Baptist junior outfielder Sara Clements batted .667 (6-of-9) with three runs, a double, homer, seven RBI and two walks in three games (all wins). She had two game-winning hits against Mississippi College — a two-out hit in the fifth in one game and a three-run homer in the fourth of the other. Her nine-game hit streak dates to the last two games of 2013. … Averett freshman utility player Jessica Long had a .667 average (12-for-18) with a double, three triples, six RBI, five walks, six stolen bases in six attempts in six games. She hit .400 (2-for-5) with a triple and two RBI in a doubleheader split with Lynchburg. … East Texas Baptist sophomore pitcher Kelly Jo McLendon went 1-0 with 0.00 ERA, six hits and one unearned run allowed over seven innings pitched in a 2-1 win over Mississippi College. She retired the side twice and got a groundout to end the game with the tying run on second. … Brandeis freshman shortstop Liana Moss compiled a .857 average (6-for-7) with seven runs, a double, two triples, a homer, six RBI, a walk and a stolen base in two games (both lopsided wins over Newberry). She also had a walk to reach base in 7-of-8 plate appearances and slugged 2.000 for the doubleheader. She tripled in a run in her first at bat of both games. … Louisiana College senior shortstop Meagan Pearson batted .667 (8-of-12) with eight runs, two doubles, three homers and 14 RBI in a three-game sweep of Concordia (Texas). She had a two-run homer in the first game, and had a grand slam and three-run homer in the final game of the series. … Pacific Lutheran senior outfielder Spencer Sherwin had a .333 average (3-for-9) with a triple, five RBI and two walks in two games. All five RBI and two of her three hits came in a 23-19 loss to Pacific (Ore.) during which she scored four times.

The Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III Player and Pitcher of the Week are selected by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions.

2014 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week

Feb. 26 — Ashley Garcia, Linfield College, Sr., 3B, Beaverton, Ore.

2014 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 26 — Rebekah Ragsdale, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Sr., P, Orange, Texas