KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its ninth Softball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week award winners for the 2024 season.
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Kara Amos, Missouri Southern
Kara Amos led all MIAA hitters on the week with a blistering .857 batting average to help Missouri Southern to a pair of MIAA sweeps against Fort Hays State and Nebraska Kearney. Over four games, Amos led the Lions with six hits, two of which were home runs. Amos also led the Lions with a .900 on-base percentage and 1.857 slugging percentage.
Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Jade Sanders, Rogers State
Jade Sanders led the Hillcats to a 2-0 record in the circle last week with wins over Central Missouri and Lincoln. Sanders posted a 0.58 ERA and totaled a league-high 18 strikeouts on the week, holding opposing batters to just a 0.171 average. Against the Jennies, the sophomore tossed an eight-inning complete game shutout scattering three hits with a career-high 13 strikeouts. Against the Blue Tigers, Sanders allowed just one run on four hits in a 4.0-inning start with five strikeouts.
Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Sadie Walker, Washburn
Sadie Walker was 2-0 in the circle last week with a 0.50 ERA in wins against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western. In two complete games, Walker threw a no-hitter and a complete game shutout over the weekend while holding opponents to a .149 batting average in a pair of wins. In her first start of the weekend in a 3-1 win over the Bearcats, Walker struck out five batters and allowed one earned run against 28 batters faced. Against the Griffons, Walker tossed the first Ichabod seven-inning complete game no-hitter since 2021. Walker struck out 10 batters, facing one over the minimum in a 1-0 win to hold the MIAA’s third-leading hitting team without a hit.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State
Paxtyn Hayes helped lead the Gorillas to a 4-0 week at home against Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State last week in conference action. For the week, the senior from Greenwood, Ark. finished with a .500 batting average, six hits, four runs scored, three doubles, one home run, nine RBI for a 1.000 slugging percentage. Climbing up the career RBI ranks at Pittsburg State, Hayes is now second all-time with 175 runs batted in following her performances last week. Against the Lopers, Hayes went a combined 4-of-6 from the plate for six RBI, three runs scored, and two doubles in the run-rule victories. In game one against Fort Hays State, Hayes finished with two RBI and hit a double in her third straight game to help the Gorillas win by run rule in three straight games. To end the week the senior utility player hit her ninth home run of the season and collected her MIAA-leading 48th RBI against the Tigers.
Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma
Terin Ritz had a dominating day in Central Oklahoma’s MIAA sweep of Newman, going 4-6 (.667) with two homers, one triple and five RBI. The junior went 2-for-3 with a triple and RBI single in a 5-0 first-game win while also pitching a complete-game four-hit shutout. Ritz came back in the nightcap to club two homers in one inning – a solo shot to lead off and a three-run blast to end the scoring in an 8-0 run-rule. She had a 2.000 slugging percentage for the day.
Pitchers
Paige Petefish – Central Missouri
Paige Petefish went 2-0 on the weekend which included a league win over No. 3-ranked Rogers State. Against the Hillcats, Petefish threw a 4 1/3 outing with six hits, two earned runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts. Petefish and the Jennies snapped the Hillcats’ 16-game winning streak with the 1-0, eight-inning victory. Petefish then tossed a complete-game shutout against the RiverHawks allowing four hits and struck out three in the win.
Kiana Pogroszewski – Pittsburg State
Kiana Pogroszewski went 2-0 last week in conference action against Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State from the PSU Softball Complex. The senior from Ephraim, Utah finished the week with a 0.58 ERA from 12.0 innings of work giving up one earned run with one walk issued.
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Josie Harrison (Emporia State), Taylor Thompson (Central Missouri), Paxton Donaldson (Rogers State), Erin Boles (Washburn), Emily Sampson (Northeastern State), Alondra Dominguez (Fort Hays State)
Pitchers: Terin Ritz (Central Oklahoma), Kiki Pickens (Missouri Southern), Jordan Harrison (Emporia State)
2024 MIAA SOFTBALL HITTERS OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE: Heather Arnett – Pittsburg State
WEEK TWO: Kaylee Wagner – Washburn
WEEK THREE: Alexis Dial – Emporia State
WEEK FOUR: Alexis Dial – Emporia State
WEEK FIVE: Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma
WEEK SIX: Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma and Mackenzie DeVine – Missouri Western
WEEK SEVEN: Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma and Hannah Burnett – Pittsburg State
WEEK EIGHT: Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma and Kaylee Lyon – Rogers State
WEEK NINE: Kara Amos – Missouri Southern
2024 MIAA SOFTBALL PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE: Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State
WEEK TWO: Savanah Egger – Fort Hays State
WEEK THREE: Jayda VanAckeren – Emporia State
WEEK FOUR: Sadie Walker – Washburn
WEEK FIVE: Jade Sanders – Rogers State
WEEK SIX: Ava Laurent – Pittsburg State
WEEK SEVEN: Jordyn Pipkin – Central Oklahoma
WEEK EIGHT: Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State
WEEK NINE: Jade Sanders – Rogers State and Sadie Walker – Washburn