Stephen F. Austin Sweeps Southland Softball Player of the Week Awards

Stephen F. Austin Sweeps Southland Softball Player of the Week Awards

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FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin sophomore Kayla Gutowski has been named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week and junior Monika Covington has been named the Southland Pitcher of the week by vote of the league's sports information directors the league office announced Tuesday. Gutowski and Covington's awards are the first by an SFA player this season and join UTA as the only teams to sweep the weekly awards in 2010.

Tucker is the second consecutive Islander named hitter of the week following junior Landry Moore giving A&M-Corpus Christi two awards in the first three weeks of play. Humpal takes home her first of the season and is the third different pitcher in as many weeks to receive the honor.

A native of Tomball, Texas, Gutowski came alive at the plate pounding out at least one hit in each of the Ladyjacks' last five games last week. She led SFA with a three-run homer in a 7-0 shutout at rival Sam Houston State March 3 and followed with a grand slam in an 8-2 win at UTSA on March 7. Gutowski has 11 RBI on the year.

Covington recorded two of her top strikeout totals of the season last week, striking out 10 in the opener against Sam Houston State and 11 in the opener against UTSA. A native of Huffman, Texas, Covington didn't allow more than four hits in any of her four appearances. She has 67 strikeouts on the season in 54.2 innings pitched.

This week's hitter honorable mentions are UTSA sophomore Caitlyn Ivy and Texas State freshman Haley Lemons. Pitcher honorable mentions are Nicholls senior Lacey Gros and Texas State sophomore Chandler Hall. To receive an honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland softball sports information directors.

Each school's SID nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for their own player.