LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Perfect at the plate and unhittable in the circle, Michigan’s Faith Canfield and Jacksonville State’s Faith Sims garnered Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week of the Week honors for games played April 22-28. It marks the second plaudit for Canfield, while Sims in the first Gamecock to receive the award.
Canfield reached base safely in all 15 plate appearances last week, going 8-for-8 at the dish with four walks and three hit-by-pitches. The senior second baseman was also perfect in the field in 11 attempts. Slugging 2.000, Canfield launched a grand slam against Michigan State, while against Penn State, she connected on a solo shot in game two and doubled twice in the series opener.
The Big Ten Player of the Week scored 10 runs and knocked in seven more. Canfield, a native of Garden Grove, Calif., scored three times in games one and three versus the Nittany Lions, recording three base knocks in the opener. Adding a homer versus Illinois on April 21, she has reached base safely in 16 consecutive plate appearances.
Sims twirled a pair of no-hitters and recorded a save as the Gamecocks went 3-1 in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play and secured at least a share of the league’s regular-season title. Over 17.1 innings of hitless ball, the Cordova, Ala. native fanned 17 and walked five, while extending her streak of not allowing a hit to 21.2 innings.
In a doubleheader against UT Martin, Sims struck out nine and walked two in her first no-hitter of the week. She came back the very next game to fan three more Skyhawks and earn a three-inning save. Two days later in a battle for first place, the OVC Pitcher of the Week held Southeast Missouri State without a hit and punched out five during a 1-0 victory.
2019 Players & Pitcher of the Week
Selected Top Performances
Megan Garst, North Alabama- 2-0, SV, 2 SHO, 0 R, 3 H, 21 K, 15 IP, no-hitter vs. Liberty; Morgan Howe, Arizona State- .700, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 1.600 SLG; Giselle “G” Juarez, Oklahoma- 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 22 K, BB, ER, 4 H, .098 opp. BA, 12 IP, perfect game vs. Iowa State; Hayley Norton, Saint Francis- .471, 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1.235 SLG, .591 OBP; Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma- .636, 7 H, 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, .1.818 SLG, .714 OBP; Gretchen Bowie, St. John’s- .500, 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1.000 FLD (10 PO, 8 A); Odicci Alexander, James Madison- .500, 2 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 3-0, 20 K, BB, SHO, 14 IP; Bradie Fillmore, Boise State- .571, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 1.429 SLG; Kate Gordon, James Madison- .769, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 R, 7 RBI, 1.538 SLG; Chardonnay Harris, Auburn- 10-inning complete game win w/17 strikeouts vs. Florida; Kelly Barnhill, Florida- 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 6 H, 24 K, 6 BB, 17.2 IP, no-hitter vs. Auburn; Daniela Alvarez, Providence- 3-0, 0 R, 6 H, 19 K, 16 IP, .113 opp. BA; Nicole Newman, Drake- 3-0, 0.72 ERA, 35 K, 2 BB, back-to-back no-hitters vs. Northern Iowa and Missouri State; Amber Fiser, Minnesota- 3-0, 0.82 ERA, 34 K, 4 BB, 17 IP; Alex Storako, Michigan- 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 21 K, 2 BB, 12 IP; Mya Felder, New Mexico State- .636 (7-for-11), 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB, 1.727 SLG, .714 OBP.
