RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Whitney Hamilton (pictured left) and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Katie Raines (pictured right) have been named the Great American Conference Softball Players of the Week for their performances in the eighth week of the 2012 season.

GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Southeastern Oklahoma State freshman Whitney Hamilton has been honored as the GAC Softball Player of the Week after her offensive surge in a four-game conference sweep of Arkansas Tech this past weekend at home. The Oologah, Okla. native went 7-for-9 at the plate for a weekly .778 batting average. She had six runs batted in and scored three runs. Her weekend performance was featured by a pair of two-run pinch-hit homeruns. Her first round-tripper came in the bottom of the fourth inning of Southeastern’s 6-1 win on Saturday and her second blast was of the game-ending variety in the bottom of the fifth inning of an 8-0 win over the Golden Suns on Sunday in the series finale. She had two hits in three of SOSU’s four wins over ATU during the weekend. With this week’s honor, Hamilton extends the streak to four consecutive weeks for an SOSU softball player toearn either player or pitcher of the week honors from the GAC. The Savage Storm is currently on top of the GAC standings with an overall record of 24-12 and a GAC record of 16-4. SOSU has won nine consecutive games.

GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Southwestern Oklahoma State junior Katie Raines has been named the GAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second time of the 2012 season after recording a pair of complete-game shutouts during this past weekend’s four-game conference sweep of Ouachita Baptist at home. The El Reno, Okla. native started the series by holding the Lady Tigers to just two hits, while walking none and striking out three in a 6-0 victory in the series opener. Then on Sunday, Raines allowed six hits, walked just one and struck out six batters in a 1-0 victory. Raines (9-3 overall) has now tossed three consecutive complete-game shutouts, five overall this season, and holds a SWOSU record of 29 consecutive scoreless innings.

NOTABLE NOMINEES
1 – Chelsea Knox, SR, 1B, Southern Arkansas (14-for-27, 7 RBI, 4 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homeruns in a 3-4 week)
1 – Kristyn Shawver, SR, OF, SW Oklahoma State (6-for-10, 4 RBI, 1 run in a 4-0 week)
1 – Kayla Jackson, SR, P/1B, Arkansas-Monticello (7-for-12, 6 RBI, 4 runs, 1 double, 1 homerun in a 4-0 week)
2 – Kayla Jackson, SR, P/1B, Arkansas-Monticello (3-0 week, 1 CG shutout, 16.2 inn., 21 hits, 6 runs, 1 walk, 15 strikeouts)
2 – Audra Rhudy, SR, P, SE Oklahoma State (3-0 week, 15 innings, 12 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts)
(1 – nominated for player of the week. 2 – nominated for pitcher of the week.)