WASHINGTON -- The Atlantic 10 Conference has awarded Saint Louis with a trio of Softball Weekly Awards, as junior Cami Newbanks was selected as Player of the Week, junior Taylor Hochman was chosen as Pitcher of the Week and freshman Abby Ulsas earned Co-Rookie of the Week accolades, splitting the award with George Mason freshman Kylie Wilkerson. The awards were announced Tuesday and are for games played February 19-25. 

Newbanks posted a .600 batting average (six-for-10) at the WKU Hilltopper Classic. The Oreana, Ill. native smashed two home runs and led Saint Louis in RBIs (nine), slugging percentage (1.200), on-base percentage (.750), walks (six), OPS (1.950) and runs (seven). Newbanks struck out just once in 17 plate appearances and handled 17 fielding chances without an error as the Billikens went 3-2 on the weekend.

Hochman posted a 3-0 record, a 1.29 ERA and one shutout in three games at the WKU Hilltopper Classic. The Frankfort, Ill. native averaged almost a strikeout per inning (13 in 14 innings) and limited opponents to a .224 batting average, yielding just 11 hits in 14 innings. The junior started off the weekend leading Saint Louis to a 12-0 win over Eastern Illinois where she pitched five shutout innings, only allowing two hits.

Ulsas hit safely in all four games in which she played, including three multi-hit games, at the WKU Hilltopper Classic. As SLU's leadoff batter, the Fenton, Mo. native led the Billikens in batting average (11-for-17, .647), hits (11, including a triple and a double), runs (seven) and total bases (14), produced a 1.471 OPS, drove in two runs, was successful in both of her steal attempts, and struck out just once in 17 plate appearances. The freshman had four hits vs. Detroit Mercy and three hits vs. Eastern Illinois and Western Kentucky.

In her first career start, Wilkerson pitched a nine-inning complete game shutout to beat UMBC 1-0 in extra innings on Saturday at the UNCW Tournament in Wilmington, N.C. The Warrenton, Va., native struck out three batters, surrendered zero walks and only allowed four hits throughout the tightly contested game with the Retrievers. Wilkerson currently has a 1-0 record and leads Mason starting pitchers in ERA with 1.54.


PREVIOUS SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
 

DATE	PLAYER	PITCHER	ROOKIE
Feb. 13	Mandy Lauth, GW	Izzy Kemp, UD	Lily Strand, SLU
Feb. 20	Natalie Sullivan, SLU	Devon Miller, FORD	Isabel Royle, SLU