Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s Players of the Week for the sixth week of the 2016 softball season. Southern Arkansas’ Liz Hudgins and Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Jessica Simmons shared the Player of the Week award while SAU’s Kimmy Beasley and Arkansas-Monticello’s Kendra Coleman split the Pitcher of the Week honor.
 
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Liz Hudgins, Southern Arkansas, CF, Sr., Mineola, Texas
Hudgins hit .800 for the week, going 8-for-10 against Southwestern Oklahoma State to raise her average from .200 to .333. Hudgins started the series going 7-for-7 through the first three games. Hudgins had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as she slugged 1.000 for the week. Additionally, Hudgins scored six runs while and drew a pair of walks.
 
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jessica Simmons, Southeastern Oklahoma State, 2B, Sr., Bethel, Oklahoma
Simmons spearheaded the Southeastern offense to sweep of reigning GAC regular-season champion Henderson State. She posted a .538 averaged and scored six runs. In the opener, she hit a three-run home run off of GAC Pitcher of the Year Michelle Sorensen. She went 4-for-5 in her stolen base attempts to push her total to a GAC-leading 22.
 
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kimmy Beasley, Southern Arkansas, LHP, Sr., Foreman, Arkansas
Beasley dominated in the circle as picked up a pair of wins and a save against Southwestern Oklahoma State. In her three appearances, Beasley posted a 0.58 ERA, gave up five hits and struck out 19 to run her record to 10-0 with a 0.92 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 61.0 innings.
 
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kendra Coleman, Arkansas-Monticello, RHP, Jr., Red Oak, Oklahoma
Coleman helped the Blossoms pick up their GAC series sweep of the season as she limited Northwestern Oklahoma State to three hits in her 14.0 innings of work. She struck out 17 and held the Rangers to a .068 batting average. In both of her starts, she did not allow a hit until the sixth inning.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
- Alex Edinger, So., INF, Arkansas Tech (Extended her hit streak to 18; went 9-for-14 in a sweep of Southern Nazarene)
- Kasey Maddox, Sr., C/DP, Oklahoma Baptist (Scored three runs and drove in four against Harding)
- Brookelynn Moon, Jr., OF, Harding (Helped Bisons go 3-1 vs Oklahoma Baptist by going 7-for-11 with four runs and four RBI)
- Madison Thompson, Fr., C/IF, East Central (Hit .700 with two doubles as Tigers swept Ouachita)
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
- Jalissa Gum, Jr., RHP, Arkansas Tech (Held SNU to one run in 14.0 IP; struck out 12 and held Crimson Storm to a .128 average)
- Hannah Johnson, Jr., RHP, Harding (Picked up two wins against Oklahoma Baptist; allowed three earned runs in 10.0 IP)
- McKenzie Jones, Jr., RHP, Oklahoma Baptist (Threw a complete-game two-hit shutout with six strikeouts against Harding)
- Jessica Seay, Sr., RHP, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Earned two wins and a save vs HSU; struck out 14 and walked one)
- Marissa Shaffer, Sr., RHP, East Central (Held Ouachita to one run in 10.0 innings pitched; recorded a one-hit shutout)