Pac-12 announces softball players of the week

SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 Conference office announced the softball weekly honors for play from Mar. 16-23. ARIZONA’s Katiyana Mauga was voted Player of the Week, while OREGON’s Cheridan Hawkins was named Pitcher of the Week and UA’s Trish Parks was named Freshman of the Week. 

Mauga (San Diego, Calif.) hit four home runs in four games to help Arizona to a perfect 4-0 record on the weekend against non-conference opponents. The sophomore went 8-for-10 at the plate with five runs scored and 10 runs batted in as the Cats defeated Connecticut and San Diego State in San Diego before taking both games of a doubleheader at New Mexico State. Mauga posted three multi-hit games, including a multi-home run stand with two long balls against the Aztecs. She also had at least one RBI in every game, including three triple-RBI outings against UConn, SDSU and in the second game against New Mexico State. For the season, Mauga is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 13 home runs and is third in the league with 41 RBI. The right fielder is hitting .376 and slugging .817 in 93 at-bats. 

Hawkins (Anderson, Calif.) kept her streak alive, not allowing an earned run in Pac-12 play as she tossed two complete games in wins over Utah on Saturday and Monday. The junior allowed two unearned runs on back-to-back seventh inning errors in Friday’s 4-2 win after allowing six hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Hawkins came back even better on Monday, no-hitting the Utes through five full innings before allowing two hits in the sixth and throwing her fifth shutout of the season, tossing nine K’s and allowing just one walk in Oregon’s 12-0 win. Her season ERA is 0.32 after the weekend which is ranked second in the nation. 

Parks (Chino, Calif.) had a hit in all four Arizona games this weekend, going 6-for-15 at the plate with five RBI, two runs and a homer, as well as pitching 11.2 innings with nine strikeouts and one complete-game victory. Her highlight of the weekend came in the seventh inning in the second game of the doubleheader against New Mexico State, where the freshman singled up the middle to complete UA’s game-tying four-run rally that sent the game into extra innings, where Arizona would win 11-6. In the circle, she picked up the second complete-game shutout of her career in a 12-0, five-inning victory over Connecticut, holding the Huskies to just two hits and two walks with six K’s. On the season, Parks is batting .372 with six home runs and 23 RBI, while holding a 9-3 record in the circle with a 3.57 ERA in 18 appearances. 

Mauga picks up her first-career weekly accolade, while Parks earns her fourth freshman honor, giving Arizona 44 selections all-time. It marks Hawkins’ eighth-career weekly honor and Oregon’s 53rd all-time. 

The Wildcats return to Pac-12 play and host No. 21 Arizona State in a three-game series beginning Friday, Mar. 27. Oregon hosts Utah Valley in a doubleheader on Wednesday, Mar. 25 before starting a three-game series against No. 19 Washington on Friday. For more information, including a full schedule, visit www.pac-12.com. 

Also Nominated
Player: Danielle Henderson, CAL; Jenna Lilley, ORE; Natalie Hampton, OSU; Tylyn Wells, STAN; Delaney Spaulding, UCLA. 
Pitcher: Michelle Floyd, ARIZ; Bev Miller, OSU; Haley Snyder, STAN; Ally Carda, UCLA.  
Freshman: Taurie Pogue, CAL; Alysha Everett, OSU; Johanna Grauer, UCLA. 

2015 PAC-12 SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK