INDIANAPOLIS - Malone and Kentucky Wesleyan named Great Midwest Softball Players of the Week, released Wednesday morning. 

Player of the Week
Bailey Byers
Malone 
Catcher/Infielder
Senior
Alliance, Ohio (West Branch HS)

For the second week in a row, senior standout Bailey Byers earns conference weekly honors after leading the Pioneers to a 4-2 week. Malone split with Hillsdale and Lake Erie and swept Ursuline in a two game series. 

Byers was 15-of-22 at the plate, including three doubles, one triple and six home runs. She batted in 13 runs and scored 12 runs as she had at least one RBI in all six games. This marked six straight multi-hit games for Byers as well as 54 straight plate appearances without striking out. 

Following this week’s performance, Byers now boasts the top batting average in the conference (.524). She has the most home runs this season (11), second most doubles (12) and second most RBI (34) across all league competitors. 

Byers has the best slugging percentage (1.12) and on-base percentage (.573) in the conference and is on pace to break the Malone school record in both statistical categories as well as batting average. 

Malone currently sits fourth in the conference standings at 11-7 in league play and 17-8-1 overall. 

Pitcher of the Week
Evyn Hendrickson
Kentucky Wesleyan 
Right-hand pitcher
Senior 
Morganfield, Ky. (Union County HS)

Kentucky Wesleyan went 3-1 on the week with two wins over non-conference opponent Kentucky State and a split series with Hillsdale. Right-handed pitcher Evyn Hendrickson picked up two complete game wins on the week with a 6-0 shut out over Kentucky State and a 5-2 win over the top team in the league, Hillsdale. 

Against Kentucky State, Hendrickson faced 25 batters, striking out 15 while only allowing three hits and zero walks. Against Hillsdale, Hendrickson faced 30 batters, striking out eight. With last week’s wins, the senior improves to 7-7 on the season. 

Hendrickson ranks 11th in the league in ERA (3.28) and has the second-most strikeouts with 134. 

KWC is 4-8 in the conference and 9-17 overall this season.