Battery Takes Two Pac-12 Player of the Week Honors
March 01, 2016 | Softball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State softball team's starting battery earned a pair of weekly honors on Tuesday morning, as the Pac-12 selected freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson for Pitcher of the Week honors, and selected freshman catcher Kayleen Shafer as Freshman of the Week.
These honors follow a 4-1 week at the Mary Nutter Classic, including wins over then-No. 12/11 Oklahoma, Northwestern, New Mexico State and Bethune-Cookman. The Beavers are off to a 14-2 start, matching the best start in program history, one only previously accomplished by Oregon State's 2006 Women's College World Series team.
Nelson's Pitcher of the Week selection is her second Pac-12 honor of the season, as the Simi Valley, Calif. native was selected Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Feb. 17. She is the first player in the Pac-12 this season to earn two weekly honors. Tuesday's Freshman of the Week honor marks the first of Shafer's burgeoning career.
Nelson dealt all seven innings in the win over No. 12/11 Oklahoma, holding the Sooners to four runs (two earned) with six strikeouts to put Oregon State in position for victory. On the offensive end, Shafer slugged a pair of doubles and an RBI off the Sooners' Paige Parker, the 2015 NFCA Freshman of the Year, including a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning to set up the Beavers' comeback win.
Nelson earned her second win of the week in a complete-game outing against New Mexico State, a team that entered the weekend with the nation's second-highest team batting average (.426). The freshman held the Aggies to two runs on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
The Aggies countered Nelson with ace righty Karysta Donisthorpe, who entered the Saturday matchup with a 5-2 record and a 1.33 ERA. Shafer collected three hits off the Aggies' ace, including a double and home run to drive in a pair of runs. In Saturday's early game, Shafer tallied four RBI off a double and home run to lead Oregon State to a run-rule victory over Bethune-Cookman.
Nelson rounded out her resume for the weekly honor by picking up her first career save against Northwestern. Entering the game in the fifth inning, Nelson allowed neither a run nor a single hit to the Wildcats and struck out five over the final three innings en route to sealing the 5-3 Beaver win.
For the season, Nelson has a 9-1 record with a 1.50 ERA and 84 strikeouts. The righty's wins total ranks second in the nation, while her total of 84 strikeouts is the third-highest in the nation. Shafer ranks second on the team with a .447 batting average, and has a pair of home runs with 10 RBI.
Nelspn is majoring in zoology at Oregon State, while Shafer, a Mission Viejo, Calif. native, is a biohealth sciences major.
The Oregon State softball team returns to action on Friday for a 5:30 p.m. PT matchup with the Baylor Bears. Friday's matchup marks the first of a challenging slate at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., where the Beavers are also set to face 2015 Women's College World Series participant Michigan, as well as Fresno State, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OregonStateSB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateSB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateSB.
About OSU Athletics: The mission of the OSU Department of Athletics is to provide opportunities to young people and develop leaders through a tradition of academic and athletic achievement in a progressive, inclusive environment of mutual respect.
