Oklahoma City, OK - Parker shines in series sweep to land Week 9 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week
Southpaw Paige Parker (Independence, Mo.) had a tremendous showing for her Oklahoma Sooners, going 4-0 from the circle en route to Week 9 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. The sophomore was dominant for Oklahoma all week, pitching 21-consecutive scoreless innings on the week while picking up three Big 12 Conference wins against then-No. 18 Baylor.Â
Parker shines in series sweep to land Week 9 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week
OKLAHOMA CITY — Southpaw Paige Parker (Independence, Mo.) had a tremendous showing for her Oklahoma Sooners, going 4-0 from the circle en route to Week 9 USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. The sophomore was dominant for Oklahoma all week, pitching 21-consecutive scoreless innings on the week while picking up three Big 12 Conference wins against then-No. 18 Baylor.
"It is an honor to receive this award and it means a lot to me," said Parker. "I couldn't do anything without the support of our coaching staff and teammates pushing me to become better every day."
Entering the week tied at No. 12 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, the Sooners picked up four wins on the week due in large to Parker's role in the circle. Beginning the week with a four-inning shutout against Wichita State, striking out four with one walk and two hits allowed.
The Sooners traveled south to Waco, Texas for a three-game Big 12 Conference series against Baylor, where Parker continued her stellar performance. In the series opener, she struck out five and walked three while tossing her seventh shutout of the year. She followed with another dominant showing in game two, throwing a career-high eight scoreless innings to record her second-consecutive shutout, her eighth of the season. Parker's performance also handed Baylor its first back-to-back shutout losses since the 2013 season. In the final game of the series, Parker entered with a 28-inning scoreless streak, tacking on an additional 2.1 frames before Baylor picked up their first run of the series.
"I think Paige did a fantastic job of leading our team into a very tough, yet important setting at Baylor," said Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso. "She had an intense, competitive attitude, executed the game plan and continually put our team in positions to win. It was a gritty performance and I'm really proud of her efforts. I know she's thrilled to win this award."
For the week, Parker was 4-0 with 19 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched while collecting a 0.81 ERA. This marks the second USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors for Parker, who earned the 2015 Week 10 honors.
2016 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 11-14): Lexie Elkins – Louisiana-Lafayette - Senior - Catcher – Victoria, Texas
Week 2 (Feb. 15-21): Jailyn Ford – James Madison - Senior - Pitcher – Hot Springs, Va.
Week 3 (Feb. 22-28): Sierra Hyland – Cal Poly - Junior - Pitcher – Visalia, Calif.
Co-Week 4 (Feb. 29-March 6): Molly Hutchison – NC State - Junior – C/OF – San Diego, Calif.
Co-Week 4 (Feb. 29-March 6): Sierra Romero – Michigan - Senior - Infield – Murrieta, Calif.
Week 5 (March 7-13): Bianka Bell – LSU - Senior - Infield – Tampa, Fla.
Week 6 (March 14-20): Hannah Day – Troy - Senior - Outfield – Crestview, Fla.
Week 7 (March 21-27): Holly Speers – Kent State - Sophomore - Infield – Surrey, B.C.
Week 8 (March 28-April 3): Jessie Hufstetler – San José State - Senior - Infield – Atascadero, Calif.
Week 9 (April 4-10): Paige Parker – Oklahoma - Sophomore - Pitcher – Independence, Mo.
About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation's largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women's National Team is one of only two women's sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com.
About the NCAA Women's College World Series
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field serves as the home to the NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS). For the 26th year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and compete for a national championship. Last year, over 78,000 fans attended the WCWS. Be there to Share The Experience with softball fans from across the country June 2-8 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2016 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and secure your championship experience!
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