Northwestern University Athletics
Michelle Batts Named Big Ten Player of the Week
5/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 3, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) has been named the Big Ten's Player of the Week after launching three home runs and driving in 13 in the Wildcats' three games last week.
On Tuesday, May 4, Batts also was named one of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) top performers for the week.
Batts began the week with a pair of run-scoring singles, driving in half of Northwestern's runs in a 6-1 nonconference victory over Illinois-Chicago, but she saved most of her damage for Big Ten play. Saturday against Penn State, Batts started a five-run second-inning rally with a leadoff double. Then, with the Wildcats trailing by one run in the bottom of the fifth, she crushed a three-run homer for the 30th home run of her career to account for the final 8-6 score in an NU win.
On Sunday against the Nittany Lions, she began the game with a three-run home run in the first inning before earning an intentional walk in the third. When she came up with the score tied, 5-5, and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the bases were loaded and PSU was forced to pitch to her. She responded with a game-winning grand slam for a career-best seven-RBI game.
For the week, Batts batted .667 and slugged 1.778 with two singles, a double and three home runs. Five of her six hits drove in runs, while the sixth led off a five-run inning for NU.
Batts is the fourth different Wildcat to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors this year. Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga), Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) and Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) all also have been chosen for the award.
Northwestern returns to action at 4 p.m. CT Wednesday, May 5, at DePaul down in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. NU then returns home for the fourth-annual Purple Auction and Senior Day festivities during a series May 8-9 against Wisconsin.
