Pac-12 announces softball players of the week

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 Conference office announced the softball weekly honors for play from May 2-8. UCLA freshman infielder Brianna Tautalafua was voted player and freshman of the week, while ARIZONA redshirt junior LHP Danielle O’Toole was tabbed pitcher of the week.

Tautalafua (Carson, Calif.) ended her first regular season on a high note, going 4-for-7 (.571) with two home runs and eight RBI in a two-game sweep at #25 Utah. Tautalafua had nearly identical line scores in her two games, going 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in game one and 2-for-3 with a homer and four runs batted in during game two. On Friday, the freshman had an RBI single in the second inning before belting a three-run homer in the fifth to help the Bruins mercy the Utes, 15-7. She would do the exact same thing on Saturday, producing an RBI single in the second to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead, while blasting a three-run homer in the fifth to put them up 7-0, as UCLA eventually won 8-0 in six innings. This is Tautalafua’s second and third accolade this season to total 143 all-time for the Bruins.

O’Toole (Upland, Calif.) went 2-0 vs. Oregon State, allowing just one run in two complete-game victories in Arizona’s series win vs. the Beavers. O’Toole debuted against the Beavers with a six-hit shutout, setting a season high with nine strikeouts in the process. For an encore, the junior took a perfect game into the fifth and final inning in Arizona’s mercy win. Her bid to throw Arizona’s first perfect game since 2010 fell two batters short. In 12 innings vs. Oregon State, the Upland, California native posted a 0.58 ERA, limited hitters to a .214 average and racked up 14 strikeouts. Her two victories pushed her to a Pac-12-best 20 wins on the season, making her the first Wildcat pitcher to reach the 20-win mark since 2012. On the season, O’Toole is second in the Pac-12 with a 2.19 ERA; she has 155 strikeouts in 172.1 innings pitched and has limited opponents to a .232 average. This is O’Toole’s third pitching honor this season and Arizona’s 155th weekly honor all-time.

A player of the week has been selected every week since 1989, with the pitcher of the week honor dating back to 1992. This is the second season of freshman of the week honors.

This week #18/18 Arizona hosts California in Tucson, beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT. All three games will air on Pac-12 Bay Area and Pac-12 Mountain, with Friday’s contest also on Pac-12 Network. The Pac-12 Networks full television information can be found here.

Also Nominated:

PLAYER: Katee Aguirre, ASU; Geri Ann Glasco, ORE; Kayla Bonstrom, STAN; Kimberlee Souza, WASH.
PITCHER: Kelsey Kessler, ASU; Cheridan Hawkins, ORE; Haley Snyder, STAN; Paige McDuffee, UCLA.
FRESHMAN:  Lindsay Rood, CAL.

2016 SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK