AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Games: March 5; March 8-10, 2024
 
CO-HITTER OF THE WEEK – Angelica Abila, LF, Sr., McMurry
McMurry senior left fielder Angelica Abila (Lubbock, Texas) was a force at the plate for the War Hawks helping sweep Mary Hardin-Baylor in conference play. She blasted a huge home run propelling the War Hawks above UMHB in game one, 3-2. She also had a run scored in the second game that was also a one-run difference. In game three, Abila went 3-for-4, scored twice and had a double and RBI. She had zero strikeouts.
 
CO-HITTER OF THE WEEK – Haley Henson, INF, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
Hardin-Simmons junior infielder Haley Henson (Maypearl, Texas) led the Cowgirl offensive attack going 8-12 on the week with two walks. She had two doubles and three RBI while scoring seven runs. Henson also stole two bases on two attempts while only having one strikeout. Henson had go-ahead runs in both games the Cowgirls won, as they claimed a series win at Sul Ross State.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Benavides, RHP, Fr., East Texas Baptist
East Texas Baptist freshman right-handed pitcher Hannah Benavides (Deer Park, Texas) improved to 4-0 on the year with a 5-inning, 4-hit shutout over Howard Payne to complete the conference series sweep in Brownwood. She posted nine strikeouts and struck out the side to end the game, as the Tigers won in five-innings, 8-0. This is her second ASC Pitcher of the Week honor this spring.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE
Sul Ross State junior first baseman Ciera Avila (El Paso, Texas) delivered the walk-off RBI single in Game 2 to lift the Lobos over the Cowgirls, 14-13. She finished 3 for 4 with a single, a double, a home run and four RBI, just a triple shy of the cycle. In Game 3, Avila went 3 for 4 with three singles and was 6 for 10 for the week.
 
East Texas Baptist senior shortstop Tristen Maddox (Mission, Texas) hit over .500 in three games with two shortened games due to run-rules. In 11 at-bats, she had five hits, no strikeouts, and one walk. She posted two home runs in the series, hitting one in game one and three.
 
UT Dallas sophomore right fielder Claire Pollack (League City, Texas) hit .500 (5-for-10) and drove in seven runs as the Comets won two-of-three at Ozarks. She extended her hitting streak to six games, recording hits and RBI in all three contests. Pollack went 2-for-4 with four RBI in Friday's 11-3 victory. She was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and a solo home run in Saturday's 12-2 win.
 
LeTourneau senior first baseman Lexi Hutchins (Joaquin, Texas) batted .500 (5-for-10) with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored in a series win at Concordia Texas. Hutchins went 1-for-3 in a game one win. In game two, she was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double before going 2-for-3 with a run scored in the series finale.
 
Ozarks senior shortstop Hayley Rivett (Berryville, Ark.) hit .363 over four games and drove in four runs. Rivett had a three-RBI game against UT Dallas. She followed that with a two-hit game in the final game of the series.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES IN THE CIRCLE
McMurry senior right-handed pitcher Jenna Lewis (Hearne, Texas) went the distance in game one against UMHB, allowing two runs and strikeout out four. In game three, she logged three innings of shutout ball and struck out two.
 
LeTourneau senior right-handed pitcher Hailee Leger (Belle Chasse, La.) went 1-1 with a 1.85 ERA and a .182 opponent batting average as LeTourneau took a series win at Concordia. In game one, Leger tossed a complete-game shutout as she allowed just one hit (an infield single) and struck out three in the victory. She went 4.1 innings in game three of the series and allowed three earned runs.
 
UT Dallas right-handed junior McKenzie Cutbirth (Klein, Texas) went 2-0 in the circle at Ozarks.
She struck out 12 batters, allowing 10 hits, four earned runs and six walks for a 3.11 ERA over nine innings. Cutbirth tied a career-high nine strikeouts in Friday's 11-3, five-inning victory.
 
Ozarks senior right-handed pitcher Allyson Fultz (Rogers, Ark.) threw a complete game to pick up a win against UT Dallas. Fultz kept the Comets off the board in the final five innings.