College: NCAA Div. I National Players of the Week Includes Perfect Game! (April 16, 2019)

Perfection was the theme this week as an ACC pitcher tossed a perfect game and retired 36 of the 37 batters she faced for the week while one talented hitter got on base 11-of-12 times.

Here’s a closer look at the honorees for Apr. 1-7, 2019…

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BYU’s Rylee Jensen, Virginia Tech’s Keely Rochard Earn 2019 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Weekly Honors

BYU’s Rylee Jensen and Virginia Tech’s Keely Rochard were named Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week of the Week, respectively, for games played April 8-14. It marks the second NFCA honor this season for Rochard and the second of Jensen’s career.

Jensen

Jensen, an Idaho Falls, Idaho native, was nearly perfect at the plate last week, batting .900 (9-for-10) and reaching base safely in 11 of her 12 plate appearances. The junior leftfielder double, tripled, homered, drove in four runs and scored five times in a three-game sweep of Pacific. She slugged 1.500 and recorded a .917 on-base percentage. Jensen was a perfect 4-for-4 with a three-bagger and three runs scored in the series opener. The WCC Player of the Week produced a 3-for-3 outing in the finale with a double, long ball, three RBI and two runs. Jensen garnered her first NFCA Player of the Week honor on May 2, 2017.

Rochard

Rochard was nearly perfect as well for the 21^st-ranked Hokies last week, retiring 36 of the 37 batters she faced. She twirled a perfect game with four strikeouts against No. 20 James Madison. It was the seventh in program history and the first against a ranked opponent. Rochard continued her dominance against Virginia. After allowing a leadoff single, the Williamsburg, Va. native retired the next 21 Wahoos, eight via the punchout, to earn the shutout victory.

2019 Honorees (Player /Pitcher)

• Apr. 16: Rylee Jensen, BYU / Keely Rochard, Virginia Tech
• Apr. 9: Alyssa Oakes, USC Update / Courtney Coppersmith, UMBC
• Apr. 2: Amanda Sanchez, LSU / Taylor McQuillin, Arizona
• Mar. 26: Kendyl Lindaman, Florida / Miranda Elish, Texas
• Mar. 19: Rachel Garcia, UCLA / Brooke Yanez, UC Davis
• Mar. 12: Jenna Cone, George Washington / Gabbie Plain, Washington
• Mar. 5: Teaghan Cowles, Stanford & Brigette Nordbert, North Carolina State / Amber Fiser, Minnesota
• Feb. 26: Cali Harrod, Florida State /Giselle Juarez, Oklahoma
• Feb. 19: Tristen Edwards, Nebraska  / Keely Rochard, Virginia Tech
• Feb. 12: Caitlyn Nolan, Virginia Tech / Kelly Barnhill, Florida

Selected Top Performances

Kylie Michael, Fordham- .688, 11 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 R, 12 RBI, .722 OBP, 1.375 SLG; Tiffany Thompson, Sam Houston State- .727, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 1.545 SLG, 2 SB; Grace Green, Oklahoma- .714, 2B, 3 HR, 4BB, 7 RBI, .818 OBP, 2.143; Mary Haff, Arkansas- 3-0, 0.74 ERA, 26 K, 19 IP; Sommer Grzybek, Columbia- .462, 2 HR, 2 R, 9 RBI, 2 BB, .533 OBP, .923 SLG; Megan Good, James Madison- 2-0, 0.54 ERA, 19 K, 3 H, 13 IP, .455 avg. 2B, 4 RBI; Krystal De La Cruz, Louisiana Tech- 4-0, 0.34 ERA, 15 K, 5 BB, 20.2 IP, .153 opp. BA; Megan Stevens, CSUN- .667 (2-for-3), 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2.00 SLG, .900 OBP, 7 BB, 6 IBB (5 consecutive at bats); Rylee Bayless, Oklahoma State- .833, 10 H, 3 2B, 5 R, 4 RBI, 1.083 SLG, .846 OBP; Sara Jubas, James Madison- .500, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1.167 SLG; Giselle Juarez, Oklahoma- 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 K, BB, H, 7 IP, .045 opp. BA; Katie Wingert, Rutgers- .417, 5 H, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 1.250 OPS; Ashley Rogers, Tennessee- 2-0, SHO, 0.00 ERA, 9 K, 0 BB, 12 IP, .163 opp. BA; Taryn Pena, Drake- .727, 8 H, 3 2B, HR, 5 R, 11 RBI, .750 OBP, 1.273 SLG; Nicole Newman, Drake- 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 SHO, 8 H, 3 BB, 34 K, 17 IP;  Madison Morris, St. John’s- 2-0, SV, 0.76 ERA, 12 K, 18.1 IP; Amber Fiser, Minnesota- 2-0, 0.68 ERA 20 K, 10.1 IP; Georgina Corrick, USF- 2-1, 0.28 ERA, 21 K, 1 XBH; Emma Brockermann, Northern Colorado- .600, 9 H, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, .625 OBP; Hannah DeVault, Lipscomb- .833, 5 H, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 1.667 SLG, .900 OBP.

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Virginia Tech Keely Rochard Named USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week

Pitching only the seventh perfect game in school history and first-ever against a ranked opponent, Virginia Tech’s Keely Rochard (Williamsburg, Va.) went the distance to earn Week 10 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, USA Softball announced today.

Rochard’s performance marked the third time this season of not allowing a hit in a game, joining her previous two no-hitters back in February.

“It feels really good to get the award, but I’m glad that we are winning and are still on a good path,” said Rochard. “We’re still going through the regular season and haven’t wavered.”

Suffering a narrow 3-1 loss in the opening contest of their doubleheader against then-No. 17 James Madison, Rochard started game two in the circle and pitched a perfect game to help Tech earn the 12-0 (five innings) shutout win.

Later in the week, Rochard allowed a solo hit to the leadoff batter in the first inning but was lights out from there, retiring 21 batters in a row to finish with a one-hitter and clinch the series win over in-state rival Virginia.

For the week, Rochard issued 12 strikeouts while allowing just one hit and zero walks in 12 innings pitched for a 0.00 ERA. Rochard, who retired 36 of 37 batters faced this week, improved to 16-3 on the year with the pair of wins.

“What a memorable week for Keely,” said Head Coach Pete D’Amour. “She’s the type of player that doesn’t get too high or too low, she just gives us what she’s got and last week she was in the zone. I’m proud of Keely and her teammates. This is a tremendous honor.”

This marks the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for Rochard and first Player of the Week accolade for a Virginia Tech athlete this season.

2019 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week

• Week 1 (Feb. 7-10): Kassidy Wilbur – Stephen F. Austin – Freshman – Pitcher – Bridge City, Texas
• Week 2 (Feb. 11-17): Zoe Casas – Florida State – Senior – Outfield – Rialto, Calif.
• Co-Week 3 (Feb. 18-24): Danielle Gibson – Arkansas – Sophomore – Infield – Murrieta, Calif.
• Co-Week 3 (Feb. 18-24): Andrea Scali – Kent State – RS Freshman – Pitcher – Parma, Ohio
• Week 4 (Feb. 25-March 3): Meghan Beaubien — Michigan — Sophomore — Newport, Mich.
• Week 5 (March 4-10): Jenna Cone — George Washington — Junior — Trabuco Canyon, Calif.
• Week 6 (March 11-17): Rachel Garcia — UCLA— RS Junior — Palmdale, Calif.
• Week 7 (March 18-24): Maddi Hackbarth – Arizona State – Junior – Oakdale, Calif.
• Week 8 (March 25-31): Kristina Foreman – Duke – Freshman – Tampa, Fla.
• Week 9 (April 1-7): Jazlyn Crowder – Louisiana Tech – Senior – Outfield – Kennedale, Texas
• Week 10 (April 8-14): Keely Rochard — Virginia Tech — Sophomore — Pitcher — Williamsburg, Va.