Oklahoma City, OK - Lexie Elkins slugs her way to USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week honors
OKLAHOMA CITY — It was quite the opening weekend for Louisiana-Lafayette catcher Lexie Elkins (Victoria, Texas) as the Ragin’ Cajuns began the 2016 with a perfect 5-0 record. The senior slugger sent five balls out of the park while collecting 14 RBI en route to being selected as the Week 1 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. This marks the second USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week award for Elkins, who previously earned the honor in Week 11 of the 2015 season.
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“I prepared like I would for any other game,†said Elkins. “I know this year that whenever I can't get it done - just like last year - others are going to be able to step up behind me, so I can play free. Even if I'm unable to do what I want to, there's no reason to get upset because someone else behind me will have my back. I'm thankful for the award, but our goal is to win a National Championship and take it game by game and that's what I'm focused on.â€
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Elkins homered in three of the five contests for the Ragin’ Cajuns, wrapping up the tournament by tying a school record and posting three multiple-hit games and four multiple-RBI games. In their season debut, Elkins scored four runs, doubled, homered and posted five RBI in a 22-4 (five inning) win over Ball State. She continued her offensive dominance in their matchup against UAB, where she went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. The momentum rolled into their game against SEMO when Elkins broke open a 1-0 ball game in the second inning with a two-out, two-run single. In their final game of the tournament, Elkins homered in each of her first two at bats, building a 3-0 lead for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
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For the weekend, Elkins finished 10-for-15 (.667 average) with five home runs, 14 RBI, eight runs scored and four walks. Adding in two doubles, seven of her hits were for extra bases, resulting in a 1.800 slugging percentage.
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"What Lexie has been able to accomplish, in terms of her performance when she does it, brings recognition - her home run power, incredible hand-eye, competitiveness and pitch recognition,†said Louisiana-Lafayette Head Coach Michael Lotief. “We get to be around her day in and day out and see another side of her. We see how she's grown as a leader, how hard she works in preparing each day, how she's a tireless leader and how humble she is every time the spotlight shines on her. She's very thankful to her teammates around her, the people in the community and the University that support her. The quality of who she is as a person and how she goes about her business every day, makes her extremely special and unique."
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Louisiana-Lafayette will face No. 5 Oregon, their first Top 25 ranked opponent this season, when they host the 30th Annual Louisiana Classics this weekend.
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2016 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 11-14): Lexie Elkins – Louisiana-Lafayette - Senior - Catcher – Victoria, Texas
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About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com.
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About the NCAA Women’s College World SeriesÂ
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field serves as the home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS). For the 26th year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and compete for a national championship. Last year, over 78,000 fans attended the WCWS. Be there to Share The Experience with softball fans from across the country June 2-8 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2016 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and secure your championship experience!
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Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball
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