Northwestern, Michigan and Penn State Earn Big Ten Softball Weekly Awards

Player of the Week 

Kansas Robinson, Northwestern 

So. – 2B – Indianapolis, Ind. – Ben Davis – Major: Learning and Organizational Change  

• Led Northwestern in hits (9), batting average (.750), slugging percentage (1.583), on-base percentage (.778), home runs (3) and runs scored (5) during a 5-0 week for the Wildcats  

• Batted 1.000 (6-for-6) throughout Northwestern’s series vs. Michigan State and reached based in 10-of-11 plate appearances  

• Homered in all three of the Wildcats’ games vs. Michigan State, combining for 16 total bases  

• Recorded three hits and a run scored in a 7-1 win over DePaul 

• Reached base four times in Saturday’s 7-1 win over the Spartans, going 1-for-2 with three walks, two runs scored and a solo home run  

• Went 3-for-3 with a single, double, home run and three RBI in an 11-3 run-rule win over MSU on Sunday 

• Hit a leadoff home run in game one of Sunday’s doubleheader and hit another solo home run in the second game en route to a 4-0 win  

• Last Northwestern Player of the Week: Hannah Cady (May 2, 2022) 

Pitcher of the Week  

Lauren Derkowski, Michigan 

Jr. – RHP – Elmhurst, Ill. – York Community – Major: Industrial and Operations Engineering 

• Posted a 3-0 record over the Wolverines’ last four games with a 0.70 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20 total innings 

• Tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in Michigan’s home opener against Oakland  

• Added eight hits apiece in two games against Purdue  

• Threw six innings to combine for another shutout in the series opener against the Boilermakers 

• Last Michigan Pitcher of the Week: Lauren Derkowski (April 17, 2023) 

Freshman of the Week 

Bridget Nemeth, Penn State  

RHP – Glendora, Calif. – Glendora – Major: Agribusiness Management 

• Earned all three winning decisions for Penn State in the Nittany Lions’ sweep of Indiana to open Big Ten play 

• Tossed 16.0 innings over three appearances against the Hoosiers, tallying eight strikeouts to turn in a weekend-long ERA of 1.31 

• Tossed a complete game in the weekend-opening pitcher’s duel and came in to toss six innings in the second game of the series  

• Finished the weekend with an opponent batting average of .161  

• Owns a 13-0 overall record in her collegiate career 

• Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Bridget Nemeth (Feb. 26, 2024) 

2024 Big Ten Softball Honorees

Feb. 12  

PL: Katie Wingert, Gr., RU  

P: Bridget Nemeth, Fr., PSU  

F: Jasmyn Burns, OSU  

Feb. 19   

PL: Britain Beshears, So., MSU  

    Sydney Gray, Sr., NEB  

P: Brianna Copeland, Jr., IND  

F: Jaeya Butler, MSU  

Feb. 26   

PL: Billie Andrews, Sr., NEB  

P: Ashley Miller, Gr., NU  

F: Bridget Nemeth, PSU  

March 4  

PL: Kaitlyn Morrison, R-Sr., PSU  

P: Liv Grey, Gr., MSU  

F: Ashlynn Campbell, PUR 

March 11 

PL: Sydney Gray, Sr., NEB 

P: Courtney Wyche, MD 

F: Jasmyn Burns, OSU 

March 18 

PL: Billie Andrews, Sr., NEB 

P: Ashley Miller, Gr., NU 

F: Jenissa Conway, MICH 

March 26 

PL: Kansas Robinson, So., NU 

P: Lauren Derkowski, Jr., MICH 

F: Bridget Nemeth, PSU