Kropp, Williams, Paracuelles Named Golfers of the Week

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE GOLFERS OF THE WEEK

Competitions: April 1-6, 2021

CO-MEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Ryan Kropp, Sr., UT-Dallas

UT Dallas senior Ryan Kropp (Brighton, Colo.) was the Comets’ top performer as his squad closed the regular season at the 54-hole Dallas Baptist Invitational, held at Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch in Denton this week. Kropp shot a four-under 68 in Monday’s opening round and closed the two-day event at four-over 218, posting a 76 in round two and 74 in Tuesday’s final 18 holes. Kropp’s first-round 68 matched the third-lowest round in the ASC this season, and it is his second Golfer of the Week of the season.

CO-MEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Dylan Williams, Sr., Louisiana College

Louisiana College senior Dylan Williams (Youngsville, La.) won the Wildcat Invitational with a single-round +4 76, helping the Wildcats finish. He won the tournament by a two-stroke over teammate Collin Stinson. 

WOMEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Mikaela Paracuelles, Fr., UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz freshman Mikaela Paracuelles (Folsom, Calif.) tied for seventh against mostly Division II competition at the Sonoma State Spring Invite. She shot a +6 73-77=150.

Final Volleyball Players of the Week Announced

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Matches: March 30-April 6, 2021

EAST DIVISION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Vivien Marquez, MB, So., Belhaven

Belhaven sophomore middle blocker Vivien Marquez (El Paso, Texas) hit .551 without making an error and averaged 2.67 kills per set as the Blazers went 4-0 against MUW. Her best match came in the second match at home against the Owls when she hit .625 with ten kills on 16 attempts. Marquez also racked up seven service aces.

EAST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Allison Smith, MB, Fr.., LeTourneau

LeTourneau freshman middle blocker Allison Smith (New Braunfels, Texas) averaged a block per set while hitting .377 with 2.08 kills per set as the YellowJackets went 4-0 on the week. She had 11 blocks in the doubleheader sweep of East Texas Baptist.

CO-WEST DIVISION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Annika Canaba, MB, Jr., Sul Ross State

Sul Ross State junior middle blocker Annika Canaba (Alpine, Texas) hit .333 while averaging 3.25 kills, 3.33 assists, and 2.56 digs per set, despite the Lobos going 1-3 against Hardin-Simmons. She had two triple-doubles, including a 17-kill, 15-assists, ten-dig performance in their four-set win. She also served up seven aces. It is Canaba’s second Player of the Week of the season and fifth of her career. 

CO-WEST DIVISION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Corinne Novak, OH, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor

Mary Hardin-Baylor senior outside hitter Corinne Novak (Georgetown, Texas) averaged 4.00 kills per set as the Cru earned a pair of 3-0 wins over Howard Payne. She hit .384 against the Yellow Jackets with 24 total kills, splitting down the middle with 12 kills in each match. Novak was UMHB’s leading hitter in both wins over HPU. It is the second Player of the Week in her career.

WEST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Karlie Knapek, L, Sr., Hardin-Simmons

Hardin-Simmons senior libero Karlie Knapek (Hutto, Texas) earned her third Player of the Week of the season after averaging 5.31 digs per set as the Cowgirls went 3-1 against Sul Ross State. She racked up three performances of 20 digs or more, including 28 in a five-set victory over the Lobos. 

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES

Offensive

LeTourneau junior right-side Skylar Fowler (Spring, Texas) hit .489 with 1.78 kills per set as the YellowJackets earned a pair of wins against both East Texas Baptist and MUW. She hit .733 on 11 kills and .727 with eight kills in the two matches against the Owls.

Hardin-Simmons junior middle blocker Taylor Salone (Grand Prairie, Texas) hit .271 and averaged 2.82 kills per set as the Cowgirls went 3-1 against Sul Ross State. She also racked up 15 blocks in 16 sets. Salone hit .444 with 18 kills in a four-set road win over the Lobos.

Defensive

Mary Hardin-Baylor freshman outside hitter Hannah Frasca (Spring, Texas) averaged 5.33 digs per set in two wins over Howard Payne. She recorded 15 digs in the first match and 17 in the second match, leading UMHB’s defense with 32 total digs. Frasca also added two blocks and hit 3.16 with 3.3 kills per set. 

ASC Announces 2020-21 Football Awards

RICHARDSON, Texas – Hardin-Simmons senior quarterback Kyle Jones and Mary Hardin-Baylor senior defensive back Jefferson Fritz were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. They highlighted the 2020-21 American Southwest Conference football awards, the ASC office announced Tuesday after a vote of the league’s head coaches. 

Jones, a two-time All-Conference selection, led the ASC with 11 touchdowns passing with 1,233 yards on 84-of-134 passing. He also ran 22 times for 76 yards and a score. 

Fritz, who also was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, recorded 28 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and three interceptions for 48 yards. He is the ASC career record holder in interceptions with 22. Fritz was also a First Team All-Conference selection at punter. 

UMHB senior center Steven Sellers was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season. He helped the ASC champion Cru rack up 387.0 yards of offense, including 198.8 on the ground, and score 24 touchdowns. 

Louisiana College junior Micah Latin was the Defensive Lineman of the Year after posting 7.0 tackles for a loss of 28 yards, 4.0 sacks for 20 yards, and a forced fumble. 

They voted Cru junior K.J. Miller as the Special Teams Player of the Year after averaging 17.7 yards per punt return, including a 52-yard touchdown return. He also averaged 22.6 yards on kick returns and was a First Team All-ASC pick at slotback.

Freshman of the Year honors went to Howard Payne quarterback Landon McKinney. He led the ASC with 1,310 yards passing on 83-of-141 with nine touchdowns. McKinney also ran 40 times for 172 yards and four TDs. 

Belhaven’s Blaine McCorkle was named the Coach of the Year after guiding the Blazers to a 3-2 record, including three straight wins to end the season in his third year. He improved on a 2-8 record in 2019. 

Thirty-nine players made a return appearance to the all-conference team, including 11 three-time selections and a trio of four-time picks – Texas Lutheran defensive back James Bell, HSU tight end Jonathan Castaneda, and McMurry linebacker Josh Smith. 

2020-21 All-ASC Football Teams and Awards

Individual Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Kyle Jones, Hardin-Simmons

Defensive Player of the Year: Jefferson Fritz, Mary Hardin-Baylor D

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Steven Sellers, Mary Hardin-Baylor O

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Micah Latin, Louisiana College

Special Teams Player of the Year: K.J. Miller, Mary Hardin-Baylor

Freshman of the Year: Landon McKinney, Howard Payne

Coach of the Year: Blaine McCorkle, Belhaven

D Two-Time Defensive Player of the Year

O Two-Time Offensive Lineman of the Year

First Team Offense

 

McMurry Sweeps Baseball Players of the Week

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Games: March 29-April 2, 2021

HITTER OF THE WEEK – Mike Gonzales, OF, Sr., McMurry

McMurry senior outfielder Mike Gonzales (Kyle, Texas) led the War Hawks to a five-game win streak with four multiple-hit games on a pair of homers, a triple, and six RBI while hitting .571 (12-for-21). He also scored a run in all five games and had 10 for the week to go with two stolen bases. He scored the game-winning run of an 8-7, 15-inning win over Howard Payne in the series opener.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK –Nick Hamel, RHP, Jr., McMurry

McMurry junior right-hander Nick Hamel (Schertz, Texas) pitched a seven-inning complete-game shutout in an 8-0 win against Howard Payne. He allowed just two hits – singles in the first and seventh – while walking two and fanning six.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE

Mary Hardin-Baylor freshman designated hitter/left fielder Hunter Jones (Hewitt, Texas) drove in eight runs over four games last week and scored four more. He batted .400 (6-for-15) and hit his first home run of the season. Hunter’s play helped UMHB give head coach Mike Stawski his first ASC series win with the Cru as the team took two of three from Sul Ross State.

UT Dallas junior designated hitter Daniel Zamora (Austin, Texas) went 6-for-16 (.375) from the plate with four extra-base hits as the Comets posted a 3-1 record last week. Zamora opened the week by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a home run in a 12-2 road win over Hardin-Simmons on Tuesday. He then went 3-for-11 with two doubles and a grand slam as the Comets took 2-of-3 games against East Texas Baptist later in the week. He was 2-for-5 with five RBI, and two runs scored Thursday as UTD downed the Tigers 14-6 in the series opener.

Louisiana College junior outfielder Alex Ashby (Crowley, La) led off the Wildcats’ first at-bat of the game with a first-pitch home run against Loyola New Orleans and LeTourneau in the series finale. He hit .500 (8-for-16) with a double, three homers, six RBI, three walks, six runs scored, and three stolen bases.

Ozark’s junior third baseman Luke Morrison (Tucson, Ariz.), hit a grand slam in game three against Belhaven to help Ozarks sweep the Blazers over the weekend. Morrison had a double, triple, and home run in the series while driving in seven, hitting .416 (5-for-12). Morrison owned a .916 slugging percentage.

Sul Ross State sophomore second baseman Jalen Benton (Lubbock, Texas) hit .385 (5-for-13) with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored in the series against Mary Hardin-Baylor. He was 3-for-5 with a solo home run in the opener, a 6-2 win.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES ON THE MOUND

UT Dallas junior right-hander Carter Cochrane (Houston, Texas) tossed a complete-game two-hitter as the Comets opened a Friday home doubleheader against East Texas Baptist with a 4-3 victory over the Tigers. Cochrane did not allow an earned run while striking out three in the Comets’ come-from-behind, a walk-off win that allowed UTD to take the series against the Tigers.

Louisiana College senior righty Andrew Robinson (Shreveport, La.) got his bullpen session with two quick innings against Loyola New Orleans, not factor into the decision. During his regular start in the series finale against LeTourneau, he shut down the Yellow Jackets during the four innings he was in as he collected the win in the run-rule shortened 17-2 game. He fanned two batters over six scoreless innings of work.

Ozark’s senior left-hander Rodny Valdes (Panama City, Panama) threw 5.2 innings of three-hit baseball to win a 7-2 victory over Belhaven. He fanned four and allowed just one run, three hits, and three walks in the outing.

Sul Ross State junior righty Isaiah Moya (El Paso, Texas) pitched a complete-game three-hitter, striking out six in a 6-2 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor. He allowed just two unearned runs and did not walk anyone. 

Gordon, Richey, McClellan, Stotts Named Softball Players of the Week

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Games: April 1-2, 2021

EAST DIVISION HITTER OF THE WEEK – Allie Gordon, 3B, So., Belhaven

Belhaven sophomore third baseman Allie Gordon (Macon, Ga.) hit .875 (7-for-8) with three doubles, eight batted in and six runs scored in the No. 10 Blazers’ sweep of Ozarks. She slugged 2.000 in the series.

EAST DIVISION PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Bailey Richey, RHP, Jr., LeTourneau

LeTourneau junior right-hander Bailey Richey (Humble, Texas) went the distance in the first two games of the series against Louisiana College, picking up wins in both. She tossed her first shutout of the season, a 5-0 win in game two, allowing just three hits. She was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and ten strikeouts on the week and only one walk over 14 innings, and it is Richey’s second Pitcher of the Week award of the season and fourth of her career.

WEST DIVISION HITTER OF THE WEEK – Ashley McClellan, CF, Sr., McMurry

McMurry senior center fielder Ashley McClellan (Midland, Texas) hit 9-for-14 (.643) and scored seven times as the War Hawks swept Howard Payne in a three-game series. She was 4-for-4 with four runs scored in the 11-5 opening win.

WEST DIVISION PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kinleigh Stotts, LHP, So., McMurry

McMurry sophomore left-hander Kinleigh Stotts (Covington, Texas) went 1-0 with a pair of saves in the War Hawks’ three-game sweep of Howard Payne. She posted saves in the first two games, then had a complete-game 7-1 win in the finale. Stotts struck out eight batters, allowing just one walk and three hits and a 0.63 ERA in 11 innings. It is her third straight Pitcher of the Week honors.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE

LeTourneau sophomore catcher Callie Poore (Whitney, Texas) hit .556 (5-for-9) with a pair of doubles and seven RBI as the YellowJackets swept Louisiana College. She was 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI in the two games on Friday. Poore had two multiple-hit RBI games and drove in a run in each contest.

UT Dallas sophomore center fielder Avery Markley (Plano, Texas) was 2-for-6 with two doubles and two RBI in the Comets’ three-game series at No. 5 East Texas Baptist.

East Texas Baptist freshman designated player Tauryn Cummings (Houston, Texas) hit .600 (6-for-10) with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored in the No. 5 Tigers’ sweep of UT Dallas. She was 3-for-4 with the game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh of the finale’s 5-4 victory.

Concordia Texas freshman third baseman Emily Moses (Etiwanda, Calif.) had at least one hit in every game as the Tornados took the series from Hardin-Simmons. She hit .600 (6-for-10) with two RBI and two runs scored.

Sul Ross State senior second baseman Samantha Chavez (El Paso, Texas) hit .444 (4-for-9) with a double, two RBI, and four runs scored as the Lobos went 2-1 against Mary Hardin-Baylor.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES IN THE CIRCLE

East Texas Baptist freshman right-hander Ashley Croft (Cypress, Texas) recorded her fourth shutout of the season with a five-inning, 8-0 win over UT Dallas. She had three strikeouts, allowing four hits with no walks in the game.

Belhaven sophomore righty Kennedy Carruth (St. Francisville, La.) captured a pair of wins against Ozarks, striking out 16 batters and allowing just three walks and six hits over 10.1 innings. She allowed one run for a 0.58 ERA.

Concordia Texas sophomore left-hander Bailey Tisdale (Santa Fe, Texas) tossed back-to-back complete-game victories to extend her winning streak to four. In the opening 3-0 win against Hardin-Simmons, she allowed four hits, two walks, and struck out four in the shutout win.

Sul Ross State junior right-hander Jodie Vaughn (Andrews, Texas) was 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA and four strikeouts over 8.1 innings against Mary Hardin-Baylor. She had a complete game, 5-0 shutout with three Ks and no walks against the Cru in the series finale.