2022 MIAA Softball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced its seventh Softball Athletes of the Week, presented by Mammoth Turf, for the 2022 season. Nebraska Kearney’s Kattie Gosker was selected as the MIAA Hitter of the Week and Missouri Western’s Sydney Rader was voted the MIAA Pitcher of the Week.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Katie Gosker – Nebraska Kearney
Last week, Katie Gosker batted .368 with three homeruns and 11 RBI to help Nebraska Kearney run its win streak to nine straight, which is the longest win streak by a Loper squad in 18 years. The Lopers are also off to the best MIAA start in program history after going 4-0 last week. Gosker has hit three homeruns in three straight games with two at Northwest Missouri and one at Missouri Western. The sophomore also had a Grand Slam in UNK’s 12-4 win in its MIAA opener against the Bearcats.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Sydney Rader – Missouri Western   
Sydney Rader picked up four wins in the circle over the weekend as Missouri Western went 5-1 on the week. In 22 innings, Rader allowed just seven runs while totaling 51 strikeouts. The sophomore recorded a season-best 12 strikeouts in the Griffons’ first game against Bemidji State, then added 10 more in relief during game two.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Keelah Griffith – Pittsburg State
Keelah Griffith hit a team-leading .571 while helping Pittsburg State post a 4-0 week. The junior Bentonville, Ark., native posted a double and two home runs among her eight hits on the week. She also scored five runs and drove in six runs. In the Gorillas 15-5 win over Sioux Falls, Griffith went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two. Griffith also went 2-for-3 with a pair of homeruns as the Gorillas out-slugged Minnesota State 9-6.
 
Amelya Huggins – Central Oklahoma
Amelya Huggins hit .429 (6-for-14) with four home runs, one double and eight RBI as Central Oklahoma went 4-2 on the week. The junior catcher clubbed two homers in a doubleheader sweep of Southeastern Oklahoma, then hit one in an 8-0 shutout of Sioux Falls and one in an extra-inning 6-5 loss to Minnesota State-Mankato. Huggins also scored seven runs and drew six walks in finishing with 1.357 slugging percentage and .600 on-base percentage.
 
Ashlyn Cook – Central Missouri
Ashlyn Cook went 4-for-5 with five RBIs, a double and a triple in the Jennies 8-7, extra-inning upset over No. 10 Augustana. The junior outfielder had the game-winning, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Vikings.
 
Pitchers
Kelsey Goodban – Nebraska Kearney
Kelsey Goodban went 2-0 on the week with a 1.33 ERA and two complete games in three starts. The righty fanned 26 batters and walked just eight over 19.1 innings and picked up wins against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western.
 
Morgan Schmidt – Fort Hays State
Morgan Schmidt made three appearances last week and picked up a win in relief in a run-rule victory over Bethany College. She threw a complete game with six strikeouts and just one earned run allowed against Oklahoma Baptist but took a tough-luck loss in a game where the Tigers were shutout. She struck out four in 1.2 innings of relief at Missouri Western and struck out six in 3.1 innings of relief against Bethany. In total, Schmidt struck out 16 batters in 12.0 innings of work.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Sarah Tiffany – Fort Hays State, Samantha Gutierrez – Newman, Abbey Ward – Emporia State, Emma Hoffart – Missouri Western
Pitters: Hannah Harrison – Pittsburg State