LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Wingate’s Savanna Brooks and Biola’s Paige Austin were named 2022 Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for their outstanding performances for contests played Feb. 1-6.
Brooks powered the Bulldogs to a 4-0 weekend, following a tremendous start to her collegiate career. She went 6-for-10 with a double, triple and four home runs. Brooks drove in 12, scored eight times, slugged 2.100 and posted a .667 on-base percentage (four walks). The South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week opened the 2022 campaign with a double, homer and four RBI against Augusta, followed by two more long balls, three runs scored and five RBI in game two.
Austin was stellar in the opening weekend of play, posting a 3-0 mark with a miniscule 0.31 ERA and 42 strikeouts. She surrendered just five hits, two runs, one earned, and held her opponents to a .067 batting average over 22.2 innings of work. The senior righty registered back-to-back one-hitters against Northwest Nazarene and No. 21 Colorado Mesa. Against NNU, Austin struck out a program-record 17 batters and followed that with 13 more versus the Mavericks. She concluded the weekend by fanning 12 in 8.2 innings of relief work in a 6-4 win over San Francisco State.
The Division II Player & Pitcher of Week awards are voted on by the NFCA's Division II Top 25 Committee, which consists of two head coaches representing each of the eight NCAA DII Regions.
Selected Top Performances
Ally Alcayaga, Cal State Monterey Bay - .615, 8 H, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 4 R, .846 SLG; Sarah Duran, Cal State East Bay - .529, 9 H, 2B, 7 RBI, 6 BB, Kayla Gonzales, Texas-A&M-Kingsville - .538, 7 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 1.231 SLG, 1.764 OPS; Gia Martin, Auburn Montgomery - .571, 2 3B, HR, 8 RBI, 1.571 SLG, 2.298 OPS; Tedi Nunn, Newberry - .667, 3 2B, 9 RBI, .917 SLG, .692 OBP; Nikki Pennington, Valdosta State - .667, 8 H, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 8 R, 1.250 SLG, .667, 1.917 OPS, Bayli Simon, UT Tyler - .667, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R, 1.000 SLG; Sarah Thompson, Concord - .583, 2 2B, HR, 4 R, 7 RBI, 1.000 SLG; Belinda Vargas, Adams State - .545, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 1.273 SLG; Hannah Whitaker, Anderson - .667, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 1.167; Natalie Willoughby, Western Oregon - .444, 8 H, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 1.000 SLG, 1.524 OBP; Morgan Ferguson, Auburn Montgomery – 3-0, 0.54 ERA, 17 K, 13 IP; Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 K, SHO, 2 BB, 1 H, no-hitter vs. Young Harris (11 K); Cassie Gasper, Cal State Monterey Bay – 2-1, 0.00 ERA, 16 K, 3 BB, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER; Brooke Larsen, Chico State – 2-2, 1.17 ERA, SHO, 19 K, BB, 18 IP; Maddie Mayer, Western Oregon – 3-0, 1.02 ERA, SV, 14 K, .167 BA, 17.2 IP; Bryanna Olson, Concordia St. Paul - 3-1, 0.64 ERA, SV, 26 K, 1 XBH, .209 opp. BA, 22 IP; Samantha Richards, Valdosta State – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, SHO, 4 H, R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 18 K, 0.95 opp BA; Kasey Widmyer, Newberry - .545, 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2.038 OPS, 2-0, 2.00 ERA, 12 K, .182 opp BA; Gail Young, Northeastern State – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 15 K, 3 BB, 3 H, .071 opp BA, 13 IP.
