Rio's Hamman named MSC Player of the Week

Louisville, KY--- University of Rio Grande outfielder Leah Hamman has been selected as the Mid-South Conference Softball Player of the Week.

The conference's weekly award is Hamman's first of the season.

Hamman recorded a .485 (16-for-33) batting average with three home runs and six runs batted in to earn MSC Player of the Week honors. The Lexington, Ohio, senior outfielder hit safely in eight of 10 games last week, including six multiple-hit games.

Hamman scored seven times for the RedStorm with three doubles and three stolen bases while helping Rio Grande to a 7-3 record last week.

This season, Hamman ranks in the conference's top-five in five statistical categories. She is second in the MSC in runs (32) and stolen bases (27), third in home runs (9), fourth in batting average (.381) and fifth in hits (48).

"I think all of her hard work is paying off," said Rio Grande head coach David Pyles. "She's having just a sensational senior year. She is one of the first at the field before games, doing extra hitting and all that good stuff."

"Leah's been a hard worker all four years and very deserving, I'm very glad to see her get an award such as this," Pyles added. "Obviously in this conference there are a lot of good players, so you're up against a lot of competition and she got really hot at the plate and has just been on a tear as of late. Actually, she is part of the reason we're on a winning streak, she's taken a lot of responsibility of our offense on her shoulders and right now seems to be carrying us."

With its week, Rio Grande improved to 22-18 overall and 11-11 in the Mid-South Conference.

She is the second Rio Grande player to earn the MSC's top player honor. Sophomore Anna Smith was the MSC Pitcher of the week, March 8.