Turnier earns first USA Softball Player of the Week honors

Two complete games, including an extra-inning thriller, helped land UCF’s junior pitcher Shelby Turnier (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) her first USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today.  Helping the Knights improve their record to 36-6, Turnier pitched two complete game wins to help the No. 18 UCF softball team to a series win at Tulsa, their first since the 2007 season.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized as the USA Softball Player of the Week, but I have to share the credit,” said Turnier.  “I’m so proud of my team for pushing through this weekend and never giving up, especially during the 16-inning game. I think it really shows how bad we want to win and how far we’re willing to go in order to reach our goals this season.”

Turnier was 2-0 on the week with a near-perfect 0.30 ERA, 21 strikeouts and just three walks in 23 total innings in the circle. In the Friday series opener, Turnier tossed the entire 16 frames, tying her season high with 14 strikeouts to earn the win while also setting a new school record for innings pitched.  Throughout the 16-innings, Turnier gave up just two walks and one earned run as the Knights overcame Tulsa 2-1.

On Saturday in the series finale, Turnier went the distance, posting her eighth shutout of the season to give the Knights their third American Athletic  Conference series win of the season.  Throughout the seven innings, Turnier struck out seven Tulsa batters while issuing just three hits and one walk.

“This is an incredible honor for Shelby. She has been so solid for us all season,” said UCF Head Coach Renee Luers-Gillispie.  “It’s absolutely fantastic for her to be the first UCF player to be named the USA Softball Player of the Week. Last weekend at Tulsa, she pitched a 16-inning game and came right back the next day to toss a seven-inning shutout. That’s how she is; she is willing to do whatever it takes for our team to be successful.”

With the wins, Turnier improved her season record to 18-5 and now holds a 0.72 ERA, the lowest in the country.  The Florida native also leads the nation with eight shutouts.  This is the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honor for Turnier and the first for a UCF Knight.

UCF will now face off against Stetson in a standalone game before hosting American Athletic Conference rival Houston at home for a three game series.

2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week

• Week 1 (Feb. 5-8): Taylor Schoblocher – North Texas – Junior – Utility – Forney, Texas
• Week 2 (Feb. 9-15): Lauren Haeger – Florida – Senior – Pitcher/1B – Peoria, Ariz.
• Week 3 (Feb. 16-22): Jenna Lilley – Oregon – Freshman – Infield – North Canton, Ohio
• Week 4 (Feb. 23 – March 1): Sierra Lawrence – Michigan – Junior – Outfield – Snellville, Ga.
• Week 5 (March 2-8): Emily Carosone – Auburn – Junior – Outfield – Orlando, Fla.
• Week 6 (March 9-15): Bianka Bell – LSU – Junior – Infield – Tampa, Fla.
• Week 7 (March 16-22): Megan Good – James Madison – Freshman – Pitcher/Infielder – Mount Sidney, Va.
• Week 8 (March 23-29): Geri Ann Glasco – Oregon – Junior – DP/Pitcher – Watkinsville, Ga.
• Week 9 (March 30 – April 5): Shelby Turnier – UCF – Junior – Pitcher – Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

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Western Michigan’s Gamboa; UCF’s Turnier Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week

For the second straight week and third time overall, UCF junior Shelby Turnier was selected 2015 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Pitcher of the Week, while Western Michigan shortstop Sabrina Gamboa was named National Player of the Week for games played over March 30-April 5.

Shelby Turnier

Turnier was a workhorse for the 17^th-ranked Knights picking up both wins in a big Conference USA road series at Tulsa. The right-handed hurler’s weekend was highlighted by a 16-inning complete-game performance in the series opener. In the program’s record-breaking performance for innings pitched, Turnier tied a season-high with 14 strikeouts in a 2-1 victory- also the program’s longest game.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized with these awards, but I have to share the credit,” Turnier said. “I’m so proud of my team for pushing through this weekend and never giving up, especially during the 16-inning game. I think it really shows how bad we want to win and how far we’re willing to go in order to reach our goals this season.”

She followed that up with a three-hit shutout to clinch the rubber game of the series. Turnier, a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., struck seven and walked one in the 3-0 victory as she lowered her overall ERA to 0.72. The series triumph was the first for the Knights against the Hurricane since 2010 and first in Tulsa since 2007.

“Shelby has been so solid for us all season, and the recognition she’s receiving is well-deserved,” head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. “Last weekend at Tulsa, she pitched a 16-inning game and came right back the next day to toss a seven-inning shutout. That’s how she is; she is willing to do whatever it takes for our team to be successful.”

Sabrina Gamboa

Gamboa slugged her way to her first national honor as she helped her squad to a perfect 6-0 mark last week. The junior from Ontario, Calif. batted a staggering .714 (10-for-14) with four home runs, a double, 14 RBI and nine runs scored. She had an eye-popping 1.643 slugging percentage and a .778 on base percentage.

She began the week by homering in four straight games and going 9-for-10 at the plate. While having a massive offensive week, the shortstop was slick in the field with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 29 attempts.

In a MAC doubleheader sweep of Toledo on April 3, she went 5-for-5 with a pair of long ball, including a walk-off grand slam in seventh to complete a last inning rally in game one, a 7-5 win. In a four-game MAC weekend against the Rockets and Bowling Green, Gamboa hit .667 with two home runs and drove in six.

Player of the Week
April 7 – Sabrina Gamboa (Western Michigan)
March 31 – Mallory Foster (UT Arlington)
March 24 – Sara Hingsberger (Weber State)
March 17 – Bianka Bell (LSU)
– Shelby Pendley (Oklahoma)
March 10 – Kacie Burnett (Idaho State)
March 3 – A.J. Andrews (LSU)
Feb. 24 – Jenna Lilley (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Lauren Haeger (Florida)
Feb. 10 – Lindsey Stephens (Texas)

Pitcher of the Week
April 7 – Shelby Turnier (UCF)
March 31 – Shelby Turnier (UCF)
March 24 – Haley Chambers (SIU Edwardsville)
March 17 – Ally Carda (UCLA)
March 10 – Ally Carda (UCLA)
March 3 – Delanie Gourley (Florida)
Feb. 24 – Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Shelby Turnier (UCF)
Feb. 10 – Miranda Kramer (Western Kentucky)

Selected Top Performances

• Alex Nickel of Saint Louis batted .733 (11-for-15), including a 7-for-7 doubleheader, with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and nine runs scored to earn Atlantic 10 Player of the Week recognition…
• ACC Co-Player of the Week, Renada Davis of North Carolina State, batted .500 (8-for-16), reached base safely in all five games with three home runs, 11 RBI and six runs scored…
• Western Kentucky’s Miranda Kramer tossed a pair of complete game victories and struck out 28 batters as she reached 1,000 career strikeouts in her career and garnered her fourth consecutive C-USA Pitcher of the Week plaudit…
• Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Week, Alyssa VanDerveer batted .600 (6-for-10) with three home runs, eight runs scored, 11 RBIs and a 1.600 slugging percentage…
• LSU’s Bailey Landry batted .692 (9-for-13) with three multi-hit games, a .846 slugging percentage and .733 OBP to take home SEC Co-Player of the Week honors…
• Providence’s Nicole Lundstrom batted .571, belted four home runs, knocking in six and slugged .2.286 to garner BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades…
• USC Upstate’s Lexi Shubert was selected A-Sun Pitcher of the week after sporting a 4-0 record with a 0.00 ERA with 20 strikeouts and just one walk in 19.1 innings…
• C-USA Player of the Week, Elicia D’Orazio of Marshall, batted .700 (7-for-10) with six RBI, a double, three stolen bases, a .692 OBP and .800 slugging percentage…
• Alexis Silkwood of Mississippi State took home SEC Pitcher of the Week honors after she went 2-0 with a save last week, not allowing a run, striking out 12 in 16 innings…
• MEAC Hitter of the Week, Jackson State’s Canessa Swanson batted a lofty .727 with eight hits, a double, two triples and seven runs scored…
• SEC Co-Player of the Week, Branndi Melero of Auburn, was 6-for-9 (.667), posting three two-hit games and launching the game-winning home run in the rubber game against No. 11 Tennessee…
• Massachusetts’ Caroline Raymond earned the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week nod after going 3-0 with 1.11 ERA and holding opponents to a .203 batting average…
• IUPUI’s Ali Mosier belted six home runs in five games, batted .500 (9-for-19) with 10 runs scored, eight RBI and four stolen bases to grab Summit League Player of the Week honors…
• Notre Dame’s Katey Haus was named ACC Co-Player of the Week after hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, six runs and a 1.286 slugging percentage…
• Central Connecticut’s Laura Messina was 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA with three walks and 39 strikeouts over 23 inning of work…
• Utah’s Hannah Flippen garnered Pac-12 Player of the Week honors after batting .588 (10-for-17) with two doubles, a triple, home run, six runs scored and five RBI in helping the Utes to a series win over No. 17 California…
• WCC Player of the Week, BYU’s Sydney Broderick, batted .562 with nine hits, three home runs , nine RBI, six runs scored and a 1.312 slugging percentage…
• Towson’s Missy McCormick grabbed CAA Pitcher of the Week accolades after posting a 3-0 mark with a 0.67 ERA with a shutouts and 25 strikeouts in 21 innings…
• Delaware’s Mariah Kondravy launched four home runs, scored five times and knocked in eight runs for the Hens to garner CAA Rookie of the Week recognition…
• Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, Fresno State’s Jill Compton, went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and seven hits allowed in a pair of complete game victories over San Diego State…
• Northwestern’s Kristen Wood grabbed Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolades after posting a 2-0 record with a save and 27 strikeouts in 15 inning of work…
• Sun Belt Player of the Week, Georgia Southern’s AJ Hamilton, went 6-for-9 (.667) with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored, seven RBI and a .692 on base percentage…
• South Alabama’s Kalen McGill picked up a pair of victories in long relief outings to earn Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week recognition; She did not allow a run, struck out eight and did not walk a batter in 10.1 innings…
• Marci Christian of Charleston Southern was selected Big South Player of the Week after launching five home runs, two of which tied the game and the Bucs went on to the win, and knocking in nine runs.