LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Salisbury’s Abby Mace and Calvin’s Brooke Hunderman claimed the latest Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors of the 2024 season on Tuesday.
Graduate center fielder Mace set the Salisbury school record for career home runs with the first of two longballs in Saturday’s second game of a doubleheader sweep of Ursinus. The Smyrna, Del., native had entered the game tied with 2010 graduate Kelly Waskewicz for the mark, before hitting her 53rd and 54th homers. It was the sixth two-homer game for Mace in her career.
Mace then added her 55th career homer in the nightcap of Sunday’s twinbill sweep of York (Pa.) and hit .727 with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, two stolen bases and four walks for the week to help the Sea Gulls run their win streak to 17 games and climb to the No. 1 national ranking in the latest NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Hunderman, meanwhile, helped that change atop the rankings happen, as the sophomore tossed a three-hitter and struck out six in a 4-2 victory that completed Calvin’s doubleheader sweep of defending national champion Trine on Saturday, and knocked the Thunder from No. 1 to fourth in this week’s ranking. In two starts for the week, the Grand Rapids, Mich., product fanned 12 over 12 innings with three runs and two walks allowed.
Other Top Performances
Haley Barnes, Benedictine (Ill.) - .619 AVG, 9 R, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI; Rilee Baughan, Randolph-Macon - .368 AVG, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB; Hannah Benavides, East Texas Baptist – 1-0, 1.00 ERA; Kenzie Bessette, Plymouth State - .429 AVG, 3 2B, 6 RBI; Maria Brooks, WashU – 2-0, 2 CG, 14 IP, 6 H, 11 K, 0.64 ERA; Annabelle Calderon, Denison - .500 AVG, 4 R, 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI; Gwendolyn Carpenter, Framingham State - .733 (11-for-15), 4 R, 3 2B, 3B, 4 RBI; Kailey Carrano, Western New England - .464 AVG, 6 R, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI; Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven – three hits allowed over nine innings; Caelee Clark, Texas Lutheran - .700 (7-for-10), 4 R, 2 RBI, 14 SB, tied NCAA Division III record with seven steals in a game, breaking both school and SCAC records; Tori Conner, Wooster – 3-0, 2 SHO, 3 CG, 22 IP, 0.64 ERA, 9 K; Avery Couch, Plymouth State - .538 AVG, 4 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI; Riley Depa, DePauw – 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 11 IP, 6 K; Marissa DiPaolo, Ramapo – 3-0, 1.12 ERA, 20 K, including 10 over 4.2 innings in relief victory, plus two-hit shutout; Carly Dole, Calvin - .500 AVG, 5 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Emily Doyle, Bethany Lutheran - .590 (10-for-17), 5 R, 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI; Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon – 3-0, 2.45 ERA, 20 IP, 3 BB, 29 K, plus .471 AVG, 2 2B, 4 RBI; Morgan Frye, Berry - .778 (7-for-9), 6 R, 2 2B, HR, 9 RBI; Jenna Giliberti, Farmingdale State - .500 (11-for-22), 13 R, 3 2B, 3 3B, HR, 13 RBI; Allie Gordon, Belhaven - .428 AVG, 3 R, 3 HR, 4 RBI; Jade Guertin, Plymouth State - .455 AVG, 4 RBI; Morgan Harwood, Wisconsin-Stevens Point – one earned run, four hits and one walk allowed over 15 innings, tossed no-hitter versus St. Norbert; Hannah Higgins, Central - .750 AVG, 2 2B, 3B, 9 RBI; Sydney Jacobs, Bethany Lutheran - .580 (11-for-19), 12 R, 2 3B, 5 RBI, 7 SB; Ruby Kappeler, Coe - .500 AVG, 8 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI; Piper Kinney, Simmons – 3-0, 1.52 ERA, 23 IP, 6 BB, 30 K, one-hitter versus New England College; Kiarra Kostroski, Wisconsin-Whitewater - .727 (8-for-11), 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI; Amanda Lanyon, Randolph-Macon - .455 AVG, 4 2B, HR, 4 RBI; Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist - .700 (7-for-10), 4 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 3 SB; Jamie Martin, Christopher Newport – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 19 K; Katie Mathies, DePauw - .667 AVG, 7 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI; Emily Meyer, Bethany Lutheran – 4-0, 0.00 ERA, 23.2 IP, 31 K, no-hitter versus North Central; Ally Moran, Framingham State – 1-1, SV, 0.00 ERA, 8 H, 8 K; Kali Morton, Pfeiffer – 3-0, 19.1 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 10 K; Natalie Otto, Moravian – 2-0, 0.58 ERA, 12 IP, 1 B, 6 K; Sydney Ouellette, Texas Lutheran – six-inning no-hitter versus Centenary (La.); Georgia Pineda, Emory – 2-0, 0.93 ERA, 15 IP, 2 ER, 4 K; Jordyn Rubin, Simmons - .500, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 BB; Marcie Silberman, Moravian - .467 AVG, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI; Ava Shorr, Farmingdale State – 3-0, 0.78 ERA, 18 IP, 27 K, 2 SHO, 54-pitch perfect game versus Sarah Lawrence; Kenna Strunsee, Wisconsin-Eau Claire - .467 AVG, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SB; Olivia Tautges, Saint Benedict - .611 (11-for-18), 9 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 BB; Cara Taylor, Muskingum - .536 AVG, 4 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 5 SB; Madelyn Thomas, Muskingum – 3-0, 1.73 ERA, 24.1 IP, 15 K; Lauren Trottier, Wisconsin-Eau Claire – 2-0, 2.86 ERA, 7.1 IP, 10 K; Eriana Wagner, Franklin - .772 (17-for-22), 13 R, 5 HR, 6 RBI; Emma Walker, Calvin - .538 AVG, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI;
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2024 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
April 16 — Brooke Hunderman, Calvin, So., RHP, Grand Rapids, Mich.
April 9 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Jr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
April 2 — Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven, Gr., RHP, St. Francisville, La.
March 26 — Ashlyn Strother, Texas Lutheran, Sr., RHP, Seabrook, Texas
March 19 — Tayah Kelley, Linfield, Sr., RHP, Myrtle Creek, Ore.
March 12 — Kate Alger, Christopher Newport, Jr., RHP, Staunton, Va.
March 5 — Tayah Kelley, Linfield, Sr., RHP, Myrtle Creek, Ore.
2024 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
April 16 — Abby Mace, Salisbury, Gr., CF, Smyrna, Del.
April 9 — Olivia Tautges, Saint Benedict, So., CF, Brainerd, Minn.
April 2 — Katie Rygiel, Ramapo, Jr., SS, Hillsborough, N.J.
March 26 — Emily Timberman, DePauw, Sr., 3B, Fishers, Ind.
March 19 — Allie Gordon, Belhaven, Gr., 3B, Macon, Ga.
March 12 — Annabelle Calderon, Denison, Jr., C, Perris, Calif.
March 5 — Haylie Stum, East Texas Baptist, Fr., DP/OF, Cypress, Texas
2024 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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