Oklahoma City, OK - Sydney Smith leads LSU to series win over Washington to earn Week 13 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week honors
LSU freshman pitcher Sydney Smith (Maple Grove, Minn.) is the Week 13 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week following an impressive showing against then-No. 11 Washington this past weekend. The Minnesota native picked up two wins to help the Tigers take two-of-three from the Huskies in the non-conference matchup. Â For her efforts, Smith also garnered Southeastern Conference (SEC) Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in her career.Â
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LSU freshman pitcher Sydney Smith (Maple Grove, Minn.) is the Week 13 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week following an impressive showing against then-No. 11 Washington this past weekend. The Minnesota native picked up two wins to help the Tigers take two-of-three from the Huskies in the non-conference matchup. For her efforts, Smith also garnered Southeastern Conference (SEC) Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in her career.
"It's a great honor to be the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week after all the hard work and my team's hard work behind me last weekend," Smith said. "It shows that the hard work that we all put in during practice really pays off and I cannot thank my coaches and teammates enough for their belief and confidence in me."
Smith earned both of LSU's wins in the circle against a ranked Washington team that came into the weekend with the eighth-best batting average in the nation, and holding the Huskies to just a single run on 11 hits in 13.2 innings of work in the circle. Washington had not been shut out all year until Smith twirled her seventh of the season in the series opener, holding Washington to just three hits with four strikeouts. In the finale, she came off the bench in relief and pitched the final 6.2 innings in a thriller, holding Washington to just a single run and scattering eight hits as LSU rallied to win 5-4 in nine innings.
Smith has won five-straight decisions, and until Washington scored its lone run of the weekend against the freshman on Sunday in the seventh inning, she had gone 31.2 innings without giving up an earned run.
"Sydney pitched great for us last weekend, has worked really hard and deserves this honor," LSU head coach Beth Torina said. "A lot of credit goes to her for believing and staying with the plan, along with the defense playing well behind her all weekend to give her the confidence to go out there and pitch like we know she can."
This is the first USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honor for Smith and the second for an athlete from LSU as fellow Tiger Bianka Bell earned Player of the Week honors earlier this season in Week 5.
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.
Week 8 (March 28-April 3): Jessie Hufstetler – San José State - Senior - Infield – Atascadero, Calif.
Week 9 (April 4-10): Paige Parker – Oklahoma - Sophomore - Pitcher – Independence, Mo.
Week 10 (April 11-17): Delanie Gourley – Florida - Junior - Pitcher – Lakeside, Calif.
Week 11 (April 18-24): Astin Donovan – South Florida - Sophomore - Outfield – Guilford, Conn.
Week 12 (April 25 – May 1): Holiday Cahill – Towson - Junior - Infield – Cypress, Calif.
Week 13 (May 2-8): Sydney Smith – LSU - Freshman - Pitcher – Maple Grove, Minn.
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