RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the softball players of the week for the ninth week of the 2024 season. Southern Arkansas’ Haley Nillen won Player of the Week while the Muleriders’ Brinson Rogers and Oklahoma Baptist’s Kayleigh Jones shared Pitcher of the Week.
#theGAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Haley Nillen, C, Southern Arkansas, Gr., Conroe, Texas
Nillen went 4-for-8 as the Muleriders swept Ouachita Baptist. She went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Friday’s 7-1 win. She hit a two-run home run in Saturday’s 10-0 five-inning victory. She hit a first-inning triple that drove in two runs in Sunday’s finale. She registered 10 total bases and slugged 1.250 in the series.
#theGAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kayleigh Jones, RHP, Oklahoma Baptist, Sr., Claremore, Oklahoma
Jones threw her third no-hitter of the month and the seventh of her career when she defeated East Central 4-0 on Friday. She struck out seven and walked only one. A double play erased the walk as she faced the minimum. One day prior, she struck out 11, walked one and gave up just one hit in a 3-0 win. Her 171 strikeouts rank third in all of college softball.
#theGAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brinson Rogers, RHP, Southern Arkansas, Jr., Statesboro, Georgia
Rogers racked up 24 strikeouts in 12.0 innings of work in two victories against Ouachita Baptist. She struck out 15 in a 7-1 win on Friday. She followed up with nine across 5.0 scoreless innings on Saturday to improve to 10-6. She raised her strikeout total to 139 in just 90.1 innings of work. Her 10.8 strikeouts per seven innings rank fifth in the country.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Remington Adams, SS (Ouachita Baptist), Jay Albiter, SS (Henderson State), Laney Anderson, C/1B (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Mariana Caro, 2B (Harding), Hailey Evans, 3B (Southern Nazarene), Ally Ryan, INF (Oklahoma Baptist), Reese Taylor, DP (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Sophie Wood, 1B (Arkansas-Monticello)
Meagan Allen, RHP (Henderson State), Hannah Hunter, RHP (Ouachita Baptist), Mallory Pitre, RHP (Arkansas-Monticello), Reese Taylor, RHP (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Janie Worthington, LHP (Southern Nazarene)