North Carolina’s Kiersten Licea Named Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week

North Carolina’s Kiersten Licea has been named the Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week for her efforts during Week 11 of the Division 1 softball season.

The Tar Heels’ senior first baseman batted .545 with four home runs and seven RBIs last week, leading her team to a 4-0 week’s showing.

In a midweek games against Campbell, Licea was 1-3 at the plate with a solo home run.

Facing archrivals NC State in an ACC series, Licea got the Tar Heels’ scoring started in game one, going 1-3 at the plate with an RBI single in the first inning. She also earned a walk in the game.

On Sunday, in a doubleheader to close the series, Licea was a perfect 2-2 at the plate in game two of the series, hitting a pair of solo home runs including a 4th-inning longball that proved to be the winning run in UNC’s 4-2 victory. She also earned her second walk of the weekend in the game, before posting a 2-3 showing in the series finale.

Batting in the clean-up spot in game three, Licea hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning that tied the ballgame before UNC ultimately pulled out a 5-3 win.

Licea’s numbers for the week also included a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.636 slugging percentage.

2023 Extra Inning Softball National Players of the Week:

4/25 – Kiersten Licea, North Carolina
4/18 – Skylar Wallace, Florida
4/11 – Kesley Hall, Boise State
4/4 – Ana Gold, Duke/Trinity Schlotterbeck, Maryland
3/28 – Valerie Cagle, Clemson
3/21 – Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
3/14 – Jessica Mullins, Texas State
3/7 – Caroline Hudson, Liberty
2/28 – Autumn Owen, Marshall
2/21 – Kiley Naomi, Oklahoma State
2/14 – Maya Brady, UCLA