For the first time this college season, we present the players chosen by USA Softball and Louisville Slugger/NFCA as the Players of the Week based on fantastic play on the field… and there must have been something in the water in Texas!

… read on to see why.

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North Texas slugger Taylor Schoblocher earns USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week accolades

Six home runs and 12 RBI helped North Texas slugger Taylor Schoblocher (Forney, Texas) to USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week accolades the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today.

The outfielder had an incredible opening weekend for the Mean Green, crushing six home runs in 12 at-bats and forcing opposing pitchers to take her as a serious home run threat.

This is the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week award for Schoblocher and the first time an athlete from North Texas has received the recognition.

“All I can say is that I’ve been working really hard and it is finally paying off,” said Schoblocher on being named the USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week.  “I know I still have a ways to go, but this is already an amazing start to this season.”

In the first two days of play, Schoblocher surpassed her home run total for the 2014 season (five), going yard twice in back-to-back-to-back games during the North Texas Invitational.  Entering her junior season with 16 career home runs,

Schoblocher sent the ball out of the park twice while driving in five runs to help her team to a 10-6 win over Texas Southern.  The Texas native continued to shine at the plate, picking up her second multi-home run game of the season against Boise State where she was a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI as the Mean Green took a 14-4 (five inning) run-rule victory.

The action did not stop there as Schoblocher continued the momentum against Seton Hall, notching another two home runs and two RBI.  Schoblocher also added two more hits for 26 total bases, of which 10 were in one game, a feat that ties a program record.  Schoblocher finished the week 8-for-12 for a .667 batting average, .688 on-base percentage and an astounding 2.167 slugging percentage.  She totaled eight runs and 12 RBI to go along with her six home runs.

“It’s not often you get to witness a weekend like Taylor had,” said North Texas Head Coach Tracey Kee.  “I personally have never seen someone do what she did and I’ve been coaching for many years.  Her ability to stay disciplined and focused at each bat was a true credit to her skill set.  As a university and program, we are happy to see her hard work pay off.”

The Forney, Texas native also tied school records with 10 total bases, five hits and four runs against Boise State plus five RBI against Texas Southern. For her efforts, Schoblocher also earned her first Conference USA Player of the Week accolade.

North Texas now sets their sights on the ASU Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz. where the Mean Green will be tested against two Top 25 ranked teams: No. 21 Arizona State and No. 15 Washington.

2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week


Week 1 (Feb. 5-8): Taylor Schoblocher – North Texas – Junior – Utility – Forney, Texas

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Texas’ Stephens, Western Kentucky’s Kramer Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week

Junior outfielder Lindsey Stephens of Texas and Western Kentucky senior Miranda Kramer were named the 2015 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively for games played over Feb 5-9.

Lindsey Stephens

Stephens had a tremendous opening weekend for the Longhorns against strong competition at the Kajikawa Classic. Starting all five games, Stephens hit a blistering .471 (8-17) with six runs, five extra base hits, including two grand slams and three home runs overall, and slugged at a 1.176 clip.

The Beaumont, Texas native blasted grand slams on consecutive days in match-ups against UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 6) and Stanford (Feb. 7). Hitting safely in all five matchups, she extended a streak of reaching base safely to 11 consecutive games. Her weekend concluded with just missing out on the cycle at then No. 16 Arizona State. In the 9-4 triumph, she recorded a double, triple, home run as part of a 3-for-4, three-run, three-RBI effort against the Sun Devils.

Miranda Kramer

Kramer was almost untouchable in the circle in her first three starts of the season for the Hilltoppers. The hard throwing lefty did not surrender a single run, allowed just four hits and struck out 38 batters, while she held her opponents to a miniscule .070 batting average in 18 innings of work.

Asserting her dominance early on in the season, Kramer tossed a 19-strikeout no hitter at Troy on February 7, the first of her career. It set a program record for strikeouts and ranked second-most in Conference USA history. A day earlier, Kramer posted a two-hit 11-strikeout performance in her season debut against Buffalo. In all, the West Burlington, Iowa native earned three complete game victories and allowed just 11 base runners for the weekend.

Selected Top Performances

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North Texas’ Taylor Schoblocher batted .667 (8-12) with eight runs and 12 RBI over five games and recorded three consecutive two home run games to reap Conference USA Player of the Week…
• Marshall’s Jordan Dixon was 5-0 in the circle with a 0.31 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work and had 11 straight strikeouts (13 total) in relief against UMass-Lowell to earn Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Week…
• Georgia’s Alex Hugo slugged (1.529) her way to SEC Player of the Week honors, batting .529 with two doubles, three triples, three home runs, 16 RBI and nine runs scored in six games…
• North Dakota State’s Krista Menke was 3-0 with a 0.97 ERA, 41 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed in 21.2 innings, including a no-hitter in the season opener against Green Bay…
• Big East Player of the Week Alex Kotter of Butler was nearly perfect at the plate, batting .900 (9-for-10) and reaching base safely in 14 of 15 plate appearances with five RBI and five runs in four games…
• UCF’s Mackenzie Audas tossed two complete game shutouts, which included a no-hitter (10 K) against Georgia Mason and a two-hitter against Boston College to earn American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week…
• Georgia’s Cortni Emanuel went 14-for-18 (.778) with 10 runs, an on base percentage of .789 and 13-for-14 in stolen bases to reap the SEC Freshman of the Week plaudit…
• Creighton’s Micaela Whitney threw her first career no hitter in a Blue Jay uniform against Pacific and went 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and held opponents to a .189 average to earn Big East Pitcher of the Week honors…
• Nebraska’s Kiki Stokes went 13-for-20 (.650) with a double, two home runs, including a grand slam, 10 RBI, 10 runs and four multi-hit contests to be tabbed Big 10 Player of the Week…
• Kayla Goff of North Florida earned Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week honors after going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings…
• Notre Dame’s Katie Haus batted .625 (10-for-16) with three multiple-hit games, three home runs and eight RBI as the Fighting Irish went 4-1 at SoCal Collegiate…
• Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Cheridan Hawkins of Oregon was 3-0 with a save, while striking out 25, 10 in a four-inning relief win, and not allowing a run in four appearances (14.2 innings)…
• Alabama’s Sydney Littlejohn tossed a perfect game in her first start, string out eight against Eastern Kentucky and also shut out McNeese State to earn SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week recognition… ACC Pitcher of the Week Lacey Waldrop earned two complete-game wins, did not allow an earned run and struck out 24 in 13 innings which included a no hitter against Georgia Southern and four-hitter against then-No. 6 Kentucky…
• Jenna Liley of Oregon was selected Pac 12 Player of the Week after beginning her career 11-for-18 (.611) with nine runs, seven RBI in six games at the Kajikawa Classic…
• Kelsey Nunley of Kentucky did not allow an earned run in two complete game wins, which included an unearned run in a 3-1 win over then-No. 5 Florida State…
• Mountain West Player of the Week Sharon-Renae Estrada of San Jose State was 9-for-20 with five home runs, 15 RBI and seven runs scored.