Louisville Senior infielder Katie Keller (Livermore, Calif.) went a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate for a 1.000 batting average with six runs, six RBI and three homers to lead her Cardinals to the American Athletic Conference title.

For her efforts Keller was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as well as the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and USA Softball.

“I am very grateful for this honor,” said Keller. “ I just went out there and tried to do my best for my team and I am just so proud that we won our conference championship and will be playing the NCAA tournament this weekend. I’m fortunate to be playing the game I love with my teammates and coaches.”

In their first game of the tournament, Keller went two-for-two from the plate with two runs including an RBI on a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning that propelled Louisville to a 5-3 win over Temple.

The Cardinal were then pitted against South Florida for the semifinals and Keller’s streak continued as she went one-for-one with a full-count grand slam in the second inning. The Senior finished the game with two runs and four RBI as Louisville run ruled the Bulls 8-0 in six innings earning them a spot in the conference tournament finals.

Facing UCF, Keller’s dominance extended for a third game. The California native gave Louisville an early lead when she led off the second inning by taking a full-count pitch over the right field fence for her sixth home run of the season. She finished the contest two-for-two from the plate with a homer, a triple and two runs scored guiding the Cardinals to the 3-2 win and AAC title.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Katie,” said Louisville Head Coach Sandy Pearsall.  “She had a great weekend and was impressive both offensively and defensively. She definitely set the tone for our team and played a huge role in winning the conference championship.”

Keller finished the regular season with a .402 batting average, .665 slugging clip, and .515 on-base percentage. This is the second USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honor for Katie with her first coming in week four of the 2013 season. Louisville will begin NCAA Tournament action in the Tucson Regional on Friday.

2014 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 6-9): Kylee Lahners – Washington – Junior – Infielder– Laguna Hills, Calif.
Week 2 (Feb. 10 -16): Aimee Creger – Tulsa – Senior – Pitcher– Yukon, Okla.
Week 3 (Feb. 17-23): Ally Carda – UCLA – Junior – Pitcher – Elk Grove, Calif.
Week 4 (Feb. 24 – March 2): Cheridan Hawkins – Oregon – Sophomore – Anderson, Calif.
Week 5 (March 3-9): Dallas Escobedo – Arizona State – Senior – Pitcher– Glendale, Ariz.
Week 6 (March 10-16): Alex Hugo – Georgia – Sophomore – Infielder – Olathe, Kan.
Week 7 (March 17-23): Jaclyn Traina – Alabama – Senior – Pitcher – Naples, Fla.
Week 8 (March 24 – 30): Ellen Renfroe – Tennessee – Senior – Pitcher – Jackson, Tenn.
Week 9 (March 31 – April 6): Katiyana Mauga – Arizona – Freshman – Outfielder – San Diego, Calif.
Week 10 (April 7 – 13): Michelle Mueller – Wisconsin – Senior – Third Base – LaCrosse, Wis.
Week 11 (April 14 – 20): Meredith Owen – Stetson – Senior – Pitcher – Jackson, Miss.
Week 12 (April 21 – 27): Tori Finucane – Missouri – Freshman – Pitcher – Germantown, Md.
Week 13 (April 28 – May 4): Kelsey Stevens – Oklahoma – Sophomore – Pitcher – Albuquerque, N.M.
Week 14 (May 5 – 11): Katie Keller – Louisville – Senior – Infielder – Livermore, Calif.