College: NCAA Div. I National Players of the Week Includes 1.000 On-Base Percentage! (April 30, 2019)

Here’s a stat line you won’t see every week: on-base 15 times out of 15 at-bats with eight hits, four walks and three hit-by-pitches to have a 1.000 on-base percentage!

That’s just one of our honorees today, but they all have fun stories…

Here’s a closer look at the honorees for Apr. 22-28, 2019…

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Michigan’s Faith Canfield, JSU’s Sims earn 2019 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I weekly honors 

Perfect at the plate and unhittable in the circle, Michigan’s Faith Canfield and Jacksonville State’s Faith Sims garnered Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week of the Week honors for games played April 22-28. It marks the second plaudit for Canfield, while Sims in the first Gamecock to receive the award.

Canfield

Canfield reached base safely in all 15 plate appearances last week, going 8-for-8 at the dish with four walks and three hit-by-pitches. The senior second baseman was also perfect in the field in 11 attempts. Slugging 2.000, Canfield launched a grand slam against Michigan State, while against Penn State, she connected on a solo shot in game two and doubled twice in the series opener.

The Big Ten Player of the Week scored 10 runs and knocked in seven more. Canfield, a native of Garden Grove, Calif., scored three times in games one and three versus the Nittany Lions, recording three base knocks in the opener. Adding a homer versus Illinois on April 21, she has reached base safely in 16 consecutive plate appearances.

Sims

Sims twirled a pair of no-hitters and recorded a save as the Gamecocks went 3-1 in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play and secured at least a share of the league’s regular-season title. Over 17.1 innings of hitless ball, the Cordova, Ala. native fanned 17 and walked five, while extending her streak of not allowing a hit to 21.2 innings.

In a doubleheader against UT Martin, Sims struck out nine and walked two in her first no-hitter of the week. She came back the very next game to fan three more Skyhawks and earn a three-inning save. Two days later in a battle for first place, the OVC Pitcher of the Week held Southeast Missouri State without a hit and punched out five during a 1-0 victory.

2019 Honorees (Player /Pitcher)

• Apr. 30: Faith Canfield, Michigan / Faith Sims, Jacksonville State
• Apr. 23: Kayla Wedl, UIC / Andrea Scali, Kent State
• 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

Megan Garst, North Alabama– 2-0, SV, 2 SHO, 0 R, 3 H, 21 K, 15 IP, no-hitter vs. Liberty; Morgan Howe, Arizona State– .700, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 1.600 SLG; Giselle “G” Juarez, Oklahoma– 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 22 K, BB, ER, 4 H, .098 opp. BA, 12 IP, perfect game vs. Iowa State; Hayley Norton, Saint Francis– .471, 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1.235 SLG, .591 OBP; Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma– .636, 7 H, 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, .1.818 SLG, .714 OBP; Gretchen Bowie, St. John’s– .500, 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1.000 FLD (10 PO, 8 A); Odicci Alexander, James Madison– .500, 2 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 3-0, 20 K, BB, SHO, 14 IP; Bradie Fillmore, Boise State– .571, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 1.429 SLG; Kate Gordon, James Madison– .769, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 R, 7 RBI, 1.538 SLG; Chardonnay Harris, Auburn– 10-inning complete game win w/17 strikeouts vs. Florida; Kelly Barnhill, Florida– 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 6 H, 24 K, 6 BB, 17.2 IP, no-hitter vs. Auburn; Daniela Alvarez, Providence– 3-0, 0 R, 6 H, 19 K, 16 IP, .113 opp. BA; Nicole Newman, Drake– 3-0, 0.72 ERA, 35 K, 2 BB, back-to-back no-hitters vs. Northern Iowa and Missouri State; Amber Fiser, Minnesota– 3-0, 0.82 ERA, 34 K, 4 BB, 17 IP; Alex Storako, Michigan– 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 21 K, 2 BB, 12 IP; Mya Felder, New Mexico State– .636 (7-for-11), 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB, 1.727 SLG, .714 OBP.

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Multi-home run performances garner Odicci Alexander USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors

Contributing to a 5-0 week and the fifth straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) sweep for the Dukes, James Madison junior Odicci Alexander (Boydton, Va.) has earned Week 12 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors.

Announced today by USA Softball, Alexander was dominant both in the circle and the batter’s box, driving in one-fourth of the team’s runs through five contests on the week.

“It’s a great honor to receive this recognition and I’m really proud of how our team played together this week,” said Alexander. “Everyone stepped up when we needed them to and that just pushed me to perform well. Knowing that my defense and teammates have my back in the lineup is such a good feeling. I’m excited to use our success as momentum moving into our last conference series and especially into the postseason.”

Collecting three hits including a home run in a midweek doubleheader against Virginia, Alexander also earned five strikeouts in four innings to pick up her 17th win in the circle in game one on Wednesday.

Against Drexel, the junior drove in one run and scored once while striking out 10 batters through five complete innings in the series opener for her sixth shutout of the season as the Dukes captured a 14-0 (five inning) win.

Continuing the momentum into the second game of the CAA series, Alexander went yard twice in a 9-4 win for the Dukes. After earning the regular-season title for the sixth consecutive season, Alexander helped James Madison complete the series sweep with a 12-2 (five inning) victory in which Alexander hit a grand slam in the first inning and plated JMU’s final runs of the game with a two-run shot to left.

Alexander matched her power at the plate, upping her season record to 19-1 in the circle after fanning five in five-total innings.

“I’m so happy that Odicci is being nationally recognized for all of the hard work she’s been putting in,” said JMU Head Coach, Loren LaPorte. “She’s been consistent in the field and at the plate, and that’s what makes her such a key player on our team. It was fun to watch her have an explosive week at the plate while remaining strong in the circle.”

For the week, Alexander had a .500 (8-for-16) average with five home runs, 13 RBI and eight runs scored while amassing a 1.563 slugging percentage. From the circle, she was 3-0 and racked up 20 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched.

This is the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for Alexander and third Player of the Week accolade for an athlete from James Madison.

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.
• Week 11 (April 15-21): Krystal Aubert – Sacramento State – Senior – Infield – Orangevale, Calif.
• Week 12 (April 22-28): Odicci Alexander – James Madison – Junior – Pitcher/Infield – Boydton, Va.