UCLA’s Garcia, Florida’s Barnhill garner 2018 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I weekly honors
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UCLA’s Rachel Garcia and Florida’s Kelly Barnhill were named Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played Feb. 19-25.
Garcia had an outstanding week in the circle and at the plate for the third-ranked and still undefeated Bruins (15-0). The sophomore form Palmdale, Calif. went 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA, a save and 30 strikeouts in 17.2 innings of work. At the plate, she hit .529 over six games with nine hits, four RBI and two runs scored.
Surrendering just five hits, one run and three walks, Garcia limited her opposition to a .085 batting average against a strong field at the Mary Nutter Classic. Twenty-three of her 30 punchouts came in 12 innings against RV Nebraska (11 K) and then-No. 7 LSU (12 K). Additionally, she was 2-for-2 with an RBI versus the Huskers and knocked in two runs against the Tigers.
Barnhill, a junior from Marietta, Ga., tossed a perfect game and a no-hitter over the weekend as the second-ranked Gators went 8-0 at home last week. The hard-throwing righty fanned 11 over five innings against Georgia Southern in her first collegiate perfect game. That was preceded a day earlier by a five-inning no-hitter against Iowa State in which Barnhill struck out nine and walked two.
Barnhill added 15 more strikeouts (5.2 IP) in her first start of the week against Oakland. Over four starts, she was 4-0 with a 0.31 ERA, 44 strikeouts and four walks in 22.2 innings of work. Barnhill limited her opposition to six hits and a .081 batting average.
Player & Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 27 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA | Kelly Barnhill, Florida
Feb. 20 – Tori Vidales, Texas A&M | Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Feb. 13 – Vanessa Shippy, Oklahoma State | Missy Zoch, DePaul
Selected Top Performances
Taylor McQuillan, Arizona – 5 app/3 GS, 4-0, save, 3 SHO, 0.29 ERA, 27 K, 24 IP, .064 opp BA; Taran Alvelo, Washington– 4-0, 1.04 ERA, 2 SHO, 32 K, 3 BB, 13 H, .144 opp BA; Carlee Wallace, Baylor– Hit for the cycle; 4-for-6, 6 RBI, .1.667 SLG; Jessie Warren, Florida State– .476, 10 H, 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 1.238 SLG, .542 OBP; Caylan Arnold, Tennessee– 6 APP / 2 GS, 3-0, save, 0.00 ERA, 32 K, 5 BB, 10 H, 21 IP; Kirstyn Thomas, Washington– .593, 16 H, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 1.148 SLG; Lili Piper, Ohio State – .500, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.400 SLG, .545 OBP; Jenna Holcomb, Tennessee– .524, 11 H, 13 R, RBI, GW run vs. Oregon; Emily Watson, Tulsa– 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 30 K, 2 BB, 9 H, .129 opp BA, 20 IP; Angel Love, North Dakota– .500, 7 H, 7 R, 2B, 4 3B, 3 RBI, 3 SB; Shea Smith, Grand Canyon– .522, 3 2B, 2 2B, HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, .607 OBP; Megan Beaubien, Michigan- 3-1, 0.00 ERA, 2 SHO, 16 K, 19 IP; Nicole Timmons, Drake– 3-0, 0.86 ERA, 27 K; Amanda Lorenz, Florida– .455, 10 H (9 XBH), 6 2B, 2 3B, HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB, SB, 1.045 SLG.