Oklahoma City, OK - Kent State's Holly Speers earns Player of the Week honors after record-setting consecutive home runs
After breaking the NCAA record for most consecutive home runs, Kent State’s Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) has been selected as the Week 7 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. A sophomore infielder, Speers batted .714 with five home runs, 10 RBI, seven runs and seven walks over a four-game stretch last week, which also earned her Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division Player of the Week accolades. This marks the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors for Speers, who helped her team improve to 20-7 on the season.
Kent State's Holly Speers earns Player of the Week honors after record-setting consecutive home runs
OKLAHOMA CITY — After breaking the NCAA record for most consecutive home runs, Kent State's Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) has been selected as the Week 7 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. A sophomore infielder, Speers batted .714 with five home runs, 10 RBI, seven runs and seven walks over a four-game stretch last week, which also earned her Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division Player of the Week accolades. This marks the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors for Speers, who helped her team improve to 20-7 on the season.
"This past week was amazing," said Speers. "I am playing the game I love and seeing the ball well, and it led to something special. It's an honor to receive such recognition for this accomplishment. It would not have been possible without my teammates, who constantly support one another. They played a huge role, and I am excited to see how far our team will go this year."
The British Columbia native nabbed the NCAA record after her walk-off three-run home run in Saturday's 9-0 victory over Central Michigan, which was her fifth home run in her last five at-bats. Having an all-around solid week of performances, Speers began the streak with a solo shot in the seventh inning Tuesday at UCF. After adding two in Friday's conference opener against Central Michigan, including a third-inning grand slam and a fifth-inning solo shot, the shortstop continued with additional homers in each of Saturday's games against the Chippewas. Speers' efforts combined to help her team start MAC play with a perfect 3-0 record.
"Holly is a very smart hitter," said Kent State Interim Head Coach Eric Oakley. "Every swing she takes has a purpose. She pays attention to every at-bat in a game, not just her own. This week was the culmination of a lot of factors, but mostly just a lot of her hard work paying off. The addition of the David and Peggy Edmonds Baseball and Softball Training Facility has provided us with our own space to get in the cages year-round and has paid dividends on the field."
For the week, Speers hit .714 with 10 RBI, five home runs, seven runs scored and seven walks, accumulating a 2.857 slugging percentage and posting an overall .857 on-base percentage.
This is the first USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors for an athlete from Kent State, who will travel to Moon Township, Pa. for a mid-week doubleheader against Robert Morris University on March 30.
2016 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 11-14): Lexie Elkins – Louisiana-Lafayette - Senior - Catcher – Victoria, Texas
Week 2 (Feb. 15-21): Jailyn Ford – James Madison - Senior - Pitcher – Hot Springs, Va.
Week 3 (Feb. 22-28): Sierra Hyland – Cal Poly - Junior - Pitcher – Visalia, Calif.
Co-Week 4 (Feb. 29-March 6): Molly Hutchison – NC State - Junior – C/OF – San Diego, Calif.
Co-Week 4 (Feb. 29-March 6): Sierra Romero – Michigan - Senior - Infield – Murrieta, Calif.
Week 5 (March 7-13): Bianka Bell – LSU - Senior - Infield – Tampa, Fla.
Week 6 (March 14-20): Hannah Day – Troy - Senior - Outfield – Crestview, Fla.
Week 7 (March 21-27): Holly Speers – Kent State - Sophomore - Infield – Surrey, B.C.
About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of 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 2.2 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.
About the NCAA Women's College World Series
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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