LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Virginia’s Bella Cabral and Belmont’s Maya Johnson were named Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors for contests played Feb. 23-March 1. It marked the third honor for Johnson in the last four weeks.
Over seven games, Cabral powered the 16th-ranked Cavaliers to seven wins, extending their winning streak to 19 games. The junior batted .688 with six home runs, 13 RBI, 10 runs scored and a 1.813 slugging percentage. She also drew eight walks and was plunked twice for a .808 on-base percentage. Cabral homered twice with four RBI against George Mason, the first a three-run shot to erase a 2-0 deficit, and also drove in the go-ahead run in the first of two contests against RV Michigan. She also sent the ball over the fence twice and registered four RBI versus Longwood.
Johnson had another tremendous week in the circle for the Bruins. She won both her starts, allowing an unearned run on four hits with 31 strikeouts to three walks in 12 innings of work against Central Michigan and Ohio. Johnson matched a season high with 17 punchouts in a one-hit shutout of the Bobcats, while fanning 14 in a five-inning complete game versus the Chippewas. With those two performances, Johnson has struck out at least 12 batters in each of her eight starts and leads NCAA Division I in both overall strikeouts (115) and strikeouts per seven innings (14.9).
The awards are voted on by the NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll Committee, which features one member coach from each of the NCAA’s 31 conferences.
Selected Top Performances
Colleen Bare, Ohio - .500 avg, 7 H, 3 2B, 6 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, .563 OBP, 1.277 OPS, SB; Madison Conley, North Texas - .500 avg, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.143 SLG, 0 K; Ashley Corpuz, George Washington - .400, 1.367 OPS, 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, walk-off grand slam vs. FAMU; Karlie Davison, Arkansas - .615 avg, 8 H, 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1.154 SLG, .688 OBP, 52-game errorless streak at second base; Abby Dayton, Oklahoma - .625 avg, 10 H, 5 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R, 1.313 SLG, grand slam in 21-run inning; Ella Dodge, Tennessee - .417 avg, 5 H, 5 R, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, .500 OBP, 1.083 SLG, game-winning grand slam vs. Penn State; Emma Fales, George Washington – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0 R, 5 K, 0 BB, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB; Leighann Goode, Texas - .545 avg, 6 H, 3 2B, RBI, 4 R, .583 OBP, SB, BB; Sarah Gordon, Georgia - .615 avg, 8 H, 2B, 4 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, 1.615 SLG; Julia Gossett, Purdue – 3-0, SV, R, 28 K, .055 opp. BA; Megan Grant, UCLA - .545 avg, 6 H, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, 9 BB, 2 HBP, .739 OBP, 1.909 SLG; Danitza Hernandez, Miami - .538 avg, 7 H, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, .571 OBP, .923 SLG; Robyn Herron, Arkansas – 2-0, 1.27 ERA, CG, 22 K, 5 H, 4 BB; Teagan Kavan, Texas – 2-0, 1.08 ERA, SHO, 13 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 18 K, .114 opp. BA, no-hitter vs. Incarnate Word; Meika Lauppe, Arizona State – 2-0, SV, 0.91 ERA, 11 K, 2 BB, 15.1 IP; Courtney Layne, Virginia – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, BB, 4 H, 8 IP, 0.63 WHIP, .154 opp. BA; Hailey Maestretti, Utah – 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 K, BB, SV, 0.57 WHIP, 19.1 IP; Paige McLeod, Illinois State – 3-0, 3 CG, SHO, 1.15 ERA, 6 k, 18,1 IP; Hannah Meeks, Illinois State - .538 avg, 7 H, 4 2B, grand slam, six RBI; Mia Mitchell, Rutgers - .455, 5 H, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR (grand slam), 1.182 SLG; Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee – 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 5 H, 7 BB, 24 K, 14 IP; Moriah Polar, Purdue - .700 avg, 14 H, 7 RBI, 5 R, 2B, 3B; Kiarra Sells, Mississippi State - .588 avg, 1.235 SLG, .611 OBP, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, BB, K, 2 SB; Taylor Shumaker, Florida - .714 avg, 19 RBI, 14 R, 4 HR, 4 BB, 1.476 SLG, 2 SB, single-game record with five runs vs. East Texas A&M; Shelby Taylor, Houston - .667 avg, 6 H, RBI, 4 R, SB; Sereniti Trice, Arizona - .714 avg, 10 H, 7 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 0 K, 1.500 OPS; McKaela Walker, Auburn – 8 H, 3B, 3 HR, 1.000 SLG, 5 BB, .542 OBP; Danika Wilson, Utah - .588, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 1.294 SLG.
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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