CSE Performances of the Week | Week 3
Baylor (5-0 on the week)
Photo via Baylor Univeristy Athletics
Baylor finished 5-0 this weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic this weekend with quality wins over #25 Oregon, #19 UCLA, and #13 Missouri. Rylee Crandall and Aliyah Binford managed to keep some of the nation’s best hitters at bay, allowing a modest average of six hits and three runs per game in those games. Shaylon Govan did her part for the Lady Bear offense, going 5/13 at the plate, but was on base in 10 out of her 18 at-bats this weekend. She currently leads the team with a .485/.575/.636 slash line. Baylor also collected wins against UC Riverside and Notre Dame.
Texas State (6-0 on the week)
Photo from Texas State University Athletics
The Texas State Bobcats garnered a perfect 6-0 record this weekend at the Arizona St./Grand Canyon Tournament. Including impressive wins over WAC favorite, Grand Canyon, Arizona State, and Ohio State. Bobcat hitters, led by Ciara Trahan, put up a total of 24 runs against their three most formidable opponents (GCU, ASU, and OSU). Trahan went 8-23 this weekend as the second hitter in the lineup and has a hit in 17/18 games so far this season. Texas St. boasts an impressive pitching staff led by Jessica Mullens. She pitched in all minus one game this weekend, allowing only one earned run, to go along with 29 strikeouts over 19.1 innings. Through the first three weeks of the season, Texas State leads the Sun Belt in most major pitching categories, including ERA (1.55), SO/BB ratio (111/19), and opponents’ batting average (.188).
Honorable Mentions
Duke (5-0 on the week)-
Checking in as the first team to make the CSE Performances of the Week twice, Duke had an undefeated weekend at the Duke Invitational, with most wins coming in convincing fashion. The Blue Devils run-ruled Big East pre-season favorite, Villanova, twice. Took out an undefeated Boston team, and put up 22 runs against Big Ten opponent Michigan St. On the weekend, Duke outscored their opponents 59-7. Jala Wright continues to dominate, throwing 10 shutout innings and striking out 19 hitters on the weekend. Wright and the rest of the Blue Devil pitching staff lead the ACC in ERA (1.17), Opponents average (.170), and shutouts (7).
Kansas (5-0 on the week)-
Kansas turned some heads this weekend going 5-0 at the Texas A&M Invitational with an impressive win against the host team. They had two wins apiece against UTSA and North Dakota State, three of those wins coming in run-rule fashion. Kasey Hamilton paved the way for the Jayhawks, throwing 13 scoreless innings, and is the only pitcher in the country to shutout Texas A&M so far this season. Presley Limbaugh led the way at the top of the lineup, reaching base 15 times out of her 23 opportunities. She also drove in nine batters on the successful weekend.
Oklahoma State (7-0 on the week)-
Oklahoma State showed why they are a perennial top 10 team, going 5-0 at the South Florida Showdown this past weekend. The Cowgirls outscored their opponents 30-2. Their most impressive win came against #4 Washington. Lexi Kilfoyl threw two complete game shutouts, allowing only three hits and having 12 total strikeouts; however, not enough can be said about the Cowgirl pitching staff, which is comprised of four front-end starters who each can compete at the top level. Ivy Rosenbrry, who had just 37 career innings coming into the year, leads the team in ERA, giving up just a single run in 25 innings of work.
