This week's Missouri Valley Conference weekly softball honors include Maliyah Wilkins of Evansville, Maya Johnson of Belmont, and Caylee Gaytan of Indiana State.

KEY LINKS
National Statistics  |  Ranking Summary
NCAA Softball Record Book  |  MVC Softball Records (PDF)
MVC Standings  |  MVC Individual Stat Leaders  |  MVC Team Stat Leaders

MVC Player/Newcomer of the Week: Maliyah Wilkins, Evansville
Wilkins put together a stellar offensive week for the Purple Aces in the 901 Classic. In four games, Wilkins batted .500 with seven hits in 14 at-bats. She belted three home runs while finishing with nine RBI, five runs, and two walks. Despite going hitless in the weekend opener against Kansas City, Wilkins picked up an RBI. From that point on, she went 7-for-10 from the plate while leading UE to a pair of victories. In Friday’s game versus Miami Ohio, Wilkins went 2-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a run. Wilkins followed that up with another 2-for-3 effort versus USI with her second homer of the weekend and two more runs. She wrapped up the weekend with her top effort of the season going 3-4 with another home run, three RBI, and two runs. 

MVC Pitcher of the Week: Maya Johnson, Belmont
Johnson went 2-0 last week with wins against Samford and North Alabama.  She struck out 32 batters in 14 innings, while allowing just three earned runs, surrendering just two walks. She leads the nation in strikeouts.

MVC Freshman of the Week: Caylee Gaytan, Indiana State
Last week Gaytan went 2-0 while allowing 13 hits spanning 20 innings.  She struck out 22 batters and recorded a 0.70 ERA (two earned runs in her four appearances). In her first 35.0 innings of collegiate play, Gaytan has maintained a dominant 1.20 ERA and a stifling 0.89 WHIP. With three complete games and a save already under her belt, she has been the backbone of the ISU pitching staff.




National Team Rankings
Doubles Per Game -- UNI (8th)
Fielding Percentage -- Indiana State (7th)
Home Runs Per Game -- UNI (13th)
On-Base Percentage -- Valparaiso (15th)
Steals Per Game -- Indiana State (15th)
Strikeouts/7 Innings -- Belmont (1st)


MVC SOFTBALL HEADLINES

• Belmont leads the nation in strikeouts per seven innings (10.68). Maya Johnson's four complete games rank second nationally (Maggie Chapin of Longwood has five complete games to lead the NCAA.) Johnson leads the NCAA with 59 total strikeouts and 14.8 per seven innings.
• SIU's Sydney Potter ranks third in the NCAA in homers this year with eight.  She trails UCLA's Megan Grant and Michigan's Lauren Putz by one -- they both have nine dingers this season. Potter's 19 RBI is third nationally. Last week, the junior catcher recorded a .412 batting average, .524 on-base percentage, 1.118 slugging percentage, and three home runs with eight RBI. Potter also walked three times with one double, one triple, and one stolen base. Two of Potter's three homers came against Long Beach State on Friday in SIU's final game at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
• Austin Comstock of Bradley had an outstanding week at the plate, going 6-for-11 with a .545 batting average and a .636 slugging percentage. She posted a career-high two doubles against Auburn on Saturday, February 14, helping power the Braves’ offense.
• Evansville's Kate Ridgway struck out 10 batters to help the Aces to a Saturday split as she went 6.1 innings in a 6-4 victory against USI. She ranks third in the league in K/7 (8.45). Her 33 total K's rank third-best also.
• Indiana State's Morgan Goodrich has been an absolute force on the base paths and at the plate for Indiana State. She ranks fourth nationally in steals per game and is perfect on nine attempts. She leads the team with 14 runs scored and a .600 OBP - third best in the MVC.
• Valpo's Mack Gallagher reached base in all four of her plate appearances vs. Saint Louis on Saturday, going 1-for-1 with three walks as she extended her on-base streak to seven straight games. The three walks matched her career high and pushed her season total to 11 free passes. Led by Gallagher, the Beacons drew eight walks on Saturday — already the fifth time this season they have earned at least eight free passes. Gallagher ranks second nationally with 1.57 walks per game this season.
• Ailey Schyck of Murray State had a big week for the Racers last week as she hit .429 across games against UNT, Rutgers, and Mississippi State.  She hit one homer.
• Freshman Anniston Reith of Drake played in just three games at the Bear Down Fiesta, and she had an outstanding showing at the plate hitting .714 (5-7) with two runs scored, a pair of home runs, and five RBI...Her best performance came against Coastal Carolina going 3-for-4 at the plate with two homers and five RBIs...Now hitting .556 on the season with a slugging percentage of 1.222 and an OBP of .600.
• Bella Atkinson of Illinois State batted .364 with five doubles, five RBIs and five runs scored. She currently leads the MVC with six doubles this season and is tied for third in the conference with 12 RBIs. 
• SIU's Emily Williams hit for a batting average of .438 with two home runs and 10 RBI at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge this past week for SIU. Williams went 7-for-16 with three walks, no strikeouts, two runs scored, and tallied an on-base percentage of .813. The junior hit two home runs with seven RBI vs. Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 11. 
• Cameran Rios of UIC finished the weekend with a .417 AVG after going 5-for-12, including two doubles, a triple, and a home run (her first career homer). Ended with four RBIs and four runs. Her first career homer came in the Flames 5-3 victory over McNeese. In the top of the fourth with runners on first and second, the slap hitter sent the ball to deep right field, putting the Flames on top 4-0.
• UNI didn't play last week after opening the season in the UNI-Dome at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic during the first weekend of the season.  The Panthers are back in action at UCA on Wednesday.  Morgan Vertz of UNI has yet to surrender an earned run and is one of 15 players nationally with a 0.00 ERA.