The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 25 Softball’s Stephens named NFCA National & Big 12 Player of the Week
05.10.2016 | Softball
Senior center fielder hit .571 last week with two doubles, four HR’s and seven RBI to power the Horns
AUSTIN, Texas – For her impressive contributions at the plate in helping No. 25 Texas softball (37-14) to four victories, including a league road sweep of Iowa State, senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens has been selected as both the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for May 10.
Stephens has now been chosen as the NFCA National Player of the Week on two occasions, following a previous nod from the Association back on February 10, 2015. The Beaumont, Texas, native joins former Longhorns Blaire Luna (two) and Cat Osterman (four) as the three multiple-time NFCA weekly honorees in program history.
The Top 25 finalist for the 2016 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year trophy has now been tabbed as the Big 12 Player of the Week three times during the 2016 campaign, after previously being honored by the league on both March 15 & April 15, and five times over her career. Texas has also now secured one of two possible league honors for the last three weeks in a row (sophomore pitcher/designated player Paige von Sprecken on April 26 and junior pitcher Tiarra Davis on May 3) and six times overall this season. Junior third baseman Celina Felix was also chosen as the Big 12 Player of the Week on February 23.
During last week's four contests against North Texas and Iowa State, Stephens batted .571 overall (8-for-14) with 11 runs scored, two doubles, four HR's and seven RBIs while slugging 1.571 and posting a staggering 2.218 OPS. She hit safely in all four match-ups, reached base successfully in 11-of-17 total plate appearances and homered during all three games of the Iowa State series. After a 1-for-2 effort with a walk and two runs scored in the mid-week, 4-2 triumph over UNT, Stephens truly caught fire against the Cyclones. During the set, she hit .583 with nine runs scored, two doubles, four HR's and seven RBIs, managed at least two hits in all three games and posted her second career single-game, two-HR effort during Saturday's match-up as the Horns rolled past ISU, 14-3 (5 inn.).
Stephens continues to lead the Longhorns in every major offensive category: batting average (.401), runs (52), hits (63), doubles (20), triples (tied with three), HR's (12), RBIs (43), total bases (125), slugging percentage (.796), walks (29), on-base percentage (.495) and stolen bases (17).
