Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Dominate Weekly Honors
2/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By: Kimberly Fisher
kimfisher@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
College Sports Madness | Mountain West Weekly Honors
Sysco Student-Athlete of the Week | USA Today/NFCA Rankings
FRESNO, Calif.- After an exceptional weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Fresno State softball team picked up several weekly accolades to commemorate their success as they approach the fourth week of the 2015 season. Two student-athletes were recognized this week by College Sports Madness, the Mountain West Conference and Fresno State Athletics as of Tuesday morning.
College Sports Madness released its Conference Players of the Week on Tuesday and named Alyssa Villalpando Madness Mountain West Softball Player of the Week for her performance over the weekend. CSM identifies the players who have made the most prominent impact on their team from each conference and on a national basis each week.
Villalpando represents the Mountain West as one of 32 individuals selected as the most impactful player in their respective conference. The `Dogs starting third baseman finished the weekend with a batting average of .550 after accumulating 11 hits in her 20 at-bats and driving in 10 runs to help Fresno State (11-4) to four wins in the five-game weekend slate. Villalpando capped the Classic with one double, two home runs and was second on the team with 18 total bases.
The CSM honor is the first Bulldog accolade for the junior from El Monte, Calif. Villalpando joined the 2015 Fresno State softball team after playing two seasons for Hawai'i and helping the Rainbow Wahine to an NCAA tournament appearance and Big West title in 2013.
After being named the Fresno State Sysco Student-Athlete of the Week, sophomore Kierra Willis was selected as the Mountain West Softball Player of the Week in an announcement by the conference on Tuesday. The Pleasant Hill, Calif., native led the team for the five games combined, scoring nine runs with one triple and 19 total bases. Willis ended the weekend with a team-best batting average of .563 with a pair of doubles and tied Villalpando with two homeruns.
Willis went 3-for-3 in Friday's game against No. 25 Texas with two singles, a triple and reached on a walk scoring two of the `Dogs runs in an 8-7 victory. The starting leftfielder ignited a comeback attempt against Ohio State in the sixth inning with a double to left center to record one of Fresno State's two runs against the Buckeyes. After generating three runs against Stanford on Saturday night, including one of the `Dogs three seventh-inning home runs, Willis posted three additional hits in four at-bats against Oklahoma State including, two singles and a solo home run.
The criminology major drove in a total of six runs on nine hits for the `Dogs and averaged one walk per game with five over the weekend. On the season, Willis has the second-best overall batting average on the team (.439) and has accumulated 18 hits in her 41 at-bats, helping the Bulldogs to an overall record of 11-4.
As of Tuesday, Fresno State made the list of Division I softball programs receiving votes to be ranked in the 2015 USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll after posting notable wins over No. 25 Texas (8-7), Stanford (13-8), Oklahoma State (16-4) and run-ruling Loyola Marymount (8-0) at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
Bulldog softball will host its second tournament of the season at Margie Wright Diamond this weekend, starting on Friday, Feb. 27. The `Dogs will host UC Santa Barbara, Rutgers, Oregon State and Saint Mary's for the first-annual Fresno State Louisville Slugger Bash.
"Be Bold!" - The official home of Fresno State Softball is 790 AM ESPN2 The Deuce. For ticket information contact the Bulldog Ticket Office at 559-278-3647 or log on to www.gobulldogs.com.
