LOUISVILLE, Ky. — East Texas Baptist’s Haylie Stum and Linfield’s Tayah Kelley claimed the first Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors of the 2024 season on Tuesday.
Stum, a freshman designated player and outfielder from Cypress, Texas, went 11-for-15 (.733) with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI over four contests at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic, which included three top-15 opponents. In the fourth-ranked Tigers’ upset of then-No. 3 Berry, she was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Stum also hit two homers and was 4-for-4 in a victory over Babson to help lead East Texas Baptist to a runner-up finish at the event.
Kelley, a senior right-handed pitcher from Myrtle Creek, Ore., delivered three of tournament champion Linfield’s four wins at the Leadoff, tossing two complete games and one shutout. She fanned 16 batters over 12 innings in the circle and yielded just three walks across 41 plate appearances, holding the opposition to a .098 average and compiling a 0.58 ERA. Kelley went the distance for the No. 3 Wildcats against both then-No. 9 Virginia Wesleyan and 12th-ranked Belhaven, and collected a win in relief versus then-No. 20 Transylvania.
This is the second NFCA honor in the last three days for Stum and Kelley, as the duo were both selected Sunday to the Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team.
Other Top Performances
Hannah Benevides, East Texas Baptist – went 2-0 at Leadoff Classic with both wins coming against ranked opponents (1.85 ERA, 11.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 11 H, 2 BB, 9 K, .244 opp. BA for week); Kailey Dorcsis, Lynchburg – three-hit shutout, 1 BB, 9 K; Piper Kinney, Simmons – three-hitter, 1 R, 1 BB, 8K; Emily McManus, St. John Fisher – .571 AVG (4-for-7), 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1.751 SLG; Meara Sain, Linfield – .750 AVG (9-for-12), 6 R, 2 RBI, 7-for-7 SB, 10 PO; Jessica Strickland, Lynchburg – .667 AVG, 4 R, 2B, HR; Jaeden Thrasher, Centenary (La.) – .571 AVG, 2 R, 6 RBI, .750 OBA, 1.667 SLG.
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2024 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
March 5 — Tayah Kelley, Linfield, Sr., RHP, Myrtle Creek, Ore.
2024 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
March 5 — Haylie Stum, East Texas Baptist, Fr., DP/OF, Cypress, Texas
2024 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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