The Prairie View A&M Lady Panther softball team capped off a productive week with two players named as the Southwestern Athletic Conference player and pitcher of the week. First baseman Christina Reyes was selected as the player of the week while pitcher Trisha Anderson was named pitcher of the week.
Reyes, a 6-0 senior from Alamogordo, New Mexico, led the Lady Panthers with a .500 batting average during the past week and a .786 slugging percentage. She also recorded seven hits, one home run, nine RBIs and four walks.A 5’6″ senior from Auburn, California, Anderson was a perfect 3-0 for the past week and finished with a 2.28 ERA. The highlight of Anderson’s week was a six-strikeout, shutout performance over the No. 25 ranked Lady Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 11.
“Both ladies played extremely well this past week,” said Lady Panther head coach Raymond Burgess. “They still have to improve in some areas but they’re playing up to their potential.”
The Lady Panthers concluded the week with a 5-1 record that included a split over No. 25 ranked Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a four-game sweep over conference foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Prairie View (12-15, 8-4 SWAC) is currently in sole possession of first place in the SWAC Western Division.
Wrandal Taylor and Rickey Thomas have been selected as the Southwestern Athletic Conference pitcher and player of the week, respectively. Taylor was selected as pitcher of the week for his play during the week of March 10 while Thomas earned player of the week honors for the week of March 17.
A 5-10, 190-pound freshman pitcher from Beaumont, Texas, Taylor threw six complete innings, allowing only three earned runs, while recording six strikeouts in a 26-6 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff on March 4. It marked the second time this season Taylor has been selected as the SWAC’s pitcher of the week.
“Wrandal has given us consistency throughout the entire season,” said head coach Michael Robertson. “He is pitching the ball extremely well and his command on the mound has been phenomenal.”
Thomas, a 6-0, 210 pound sophomore from Spring, Texas, has been the Panthers’ primary offensive threat this season. In five games played last week, he finished with a .533 average, 12 RBIs, six runs, eight hits, three doubles, two walks and a grand slam. He batted .636, drove in a total of 11 RBIs and scored four runs in the series against Grambling State.
“Rickey is our team leader,” said Robertson. “Prior to the season I knew that he had the potential to drive in 50 to 60 runs. He hit a cantankerous shot against Grambling State that really lifted our ball club in the final game.