Spring sports are in full swing, and Redhawk student-athletes are already collecting accolades.
Softball junior Rachel Rook and baseball senior Justin Dirden each earned Ohio Valley Conference Athlete of the Week honors for their performances on the diamond last weekend.
Rook was named OVC Pitcher of the Week for the second time in her career. A native of Republic, Missouri, she went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three appearances and two starts at the Alabama State Stinger Classic. Rook tossed a complete game shutout with a career-high 13 strikeouts against South Carolina State (Feb. 23). She allowed only one walk and three hits in 14 scoreless innings. For the week, Rook recorded 23 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Dirden was named OVC Co-Player of the Week. In five games last week, Dirden hit .500 (10-for-20) with eight runs scored, a triple, four home runs, 10 RBI, three walks, three stolen bases, a 1.200 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage.
Dirden drove in two more runs in the game two against NIU and then exploded by going 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two home runs, two walks and four RBI in a 16-15 extra-inning win over the Huskies. In the Redhawks herculean come-from-behind-win on Saturday, Dirden was 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two home runs, two walks and four RBI, including the game-tying homer in the nine-run eighth inning.
Both the Redhawks Baseball and Softball teams play at home this weekend. Baseball hosts Ohio at Capaha Field, with games today at 3pm, a doubleheader Saturday at noon, and the series finale on Sunday at 1pm. Redhawks Softball hosts UMKC at the Redhawk Softball Complex, with one game on Saturday, February 29 at 4 p.m., and a doubleheader on Sunday, March 1 beginning at 10:30 a.m.
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