INDIANAPOLIS – Kentucky Wesleyan sophomore combo Meredith Daunhauer and Maci Brown were both named Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball Players of the Week on Monday.
The Panthers have been a regular for weekly conference honors this spring with Maddie Dawson, Alexis Mullen and Autumn Grady (3x), all either player or pitcher of the week recognition.
Kentucky Wesleyan enjoyed a really strong week with a 6-2 record in sunny Clermont, Fla. Included were Midwest Region wins against incoming G-MAC member Lake Erie along with Tiffin.
KWC closed its trip by winning three of four before returning back to Owensboro.
Daunhauer, the 2016 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, was on base at will against the opposition. She had 15 total hits for a .517 average (15-for-29), scored nine runs and stole six bases.
Daunhauer had four consecutive multi-hit games and five total during the Florida trip. She stole a pair of bases against Tiffin and Northern State and doubled against Lake Erie.
The sophomore is an early candidate to take aim at the all-time batting average record in league history and a few other offensive marks. Daunhauer’s career average through just 68 games in her career stands at .424, a number that would easily eclipse the standing .386 at the top posted by Lindsey Stephens (Trevecca Nazarene).
She is currently the league leader in hits (34), runs (21) and stolen bases (14) and is fourth in batting average and tied for third in doubles.
Brown made four appearances in KWC’s eight games and found her stride with a perfect 3-0 record and a sparkling ERA in 21.2 innings pitched.
She tossed three complete games, including a four-strikeout shutout against Gannon and fanned 10 hitters against Northern State and punched out nine against Tiffin. Even her relief appearance against Michigan-Dearborn was in shutdown form, striking out both batters she faced in a 6-3 win.
Brown only gave up three runs for a 0.97 ERA and averaged more than a strikeout per inning. KWC outscored opponents 17-7 while she was in the circle.
Brown is now 5-2 on the spring with a 1.55 ERA. She currently leads the G-MAC in innings pitched and strikeouts with 49 in both categories.