OKLAHOMA CITY — An outstanding week at the plate for Georgia sophomore second baseman Alex Hugo (Olathe, Kan.) earned her USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors this week the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today. Hugo guided the Bulldogs to a perfect 4-0 record that included a three-game series sweep of conference foe Mississippi State. With the wins, Georgia improved its record to 25-2 and moved up three spots to No. 14 in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 announced earlier today.

"I am so thankful to receive this honor and be a part of this team,” said Hugo. “The best decision I could have made was to transfer to Georgia and be a part of this program. My coaches and teammates are extremely supportive and motivate me every day, both on and off the field. I would have never been honored with this award without them."

Alex finished the week a combined 7-for-13 at the plate for a .538 average and also led the team in hits (seven), runs scored (six), RBI (seven), home runs (three) and slugging percentage (1.308). She recorded a hit in each of the games over the week, including home runs in each of Georgia’s three games against Mississippi State. She also extended her streak of reaching base safely to 26 games. 

The Olathe, Kan., native was brilliant in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) series against Mississippi State, hitting at a .600 clip over the three games. She was responsible for the game-winning hit and run in each of the games, with each coming by way of a home run. On Friday, Hugo scored the game’s lone run when she belted a solo home run off the scoreboard. 

Hugo delivered a walk-off home run in each of the next two games to seal the series sweep for the Georgia and delivered a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning in the second game of the series against Mississippi State. With the bases loaded and one out, Hugo came to the plate and hit a towering home run over the right centerfield wall that gave the Bulldogs the 11-2 win. 

In the second game of the day and the third of the series, Hugo again was the hero, leading off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run that sealed the 9-1 run-rule win and the SEC series sweep.

“Alex is a complete player and one that can change the game in so many ways - with her bat, her defense, her speed and with her leadership on the field,” said Georgia Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer. “We are thrilled to have Alex not only in our lineup, but in our dugout as she embodies what it means to be a Bulldog. We are excited to see her being recognized nationally as she is certainly deserving of the award!"

On the year, Hugo’s 11 home runs and 30 RBI each rank first in the Bulldog lineup while the sophomore’s .908 overall slugging percentage is good enough for first in the SEC.

This is the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honor for Alex and the first for a Georgia Bulldog since Geri Ann Glasco earned the award in Week Ten of the 2013 season.

2014 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 6-9): Kylee Lahners - Washington - Junior - Infielder– Laguna Hills, Calif.

Week 2 (Feb. 10 -16): Aimee Creger - Tulsa - Senior - Pitcher– Yukon, Okla.

Week 3 (Feb. 17-23): Ally Carda – UCLA – Junior – Pitcher – Elk Grove, Calif.

Week 4 (Feb. 24 – March 2): Cheridan Hawkins – Oregon – Sophomore – Anderson, Calif.

Week 5 (March 3-9): Dallas Escobedo - Arizona State - Senior - Pitcher– Glendale, Ariz.

Week 6 (March 10-16): Alex Hugo – Georgia – Sophomore – Infielder – Olathe, Kan.

About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.

About USA Softball 
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles including the last seven consecutive as well as claimed six World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com.  

About the NCAA Women’s College World Series 
The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium serves as the home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS). For the 24th year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and complete for a National Championship title. Last year, over 70,000 fans attended the WCWS. Experience It Live May 29 to June 4 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2014 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and make a date with champions!