OKLAHOMA CITY — After leading her team to a three-game road sweep of a then-Top 25 ranked Wisconsin, Nebraska’s Kaylan Jablonski (Omaha, Neb.) has been named the USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, USA Softball announced today. Contributing both at the plate and in the circle, Jablonski’s outstanding performance helped the Huskers’ secure their first three-game sweep over a ranked conference opponent in program history. This marks the first USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week honor for Jablonski, who was also honored as the Big Ten Conference Co-Player of the Week for her performance.
"It is truly an honor to be recognized by USA Softball with all of the great players and coaches that have been a part of that organization,” said Jablonski. “I am honored to receive this award, and I am grateful for the support of my coaches and my teammates. I have to thank my teammates for the fight they had this weekend. Playing with them makes the game fun, and I am very thankful I get to play with them every game.”
Jablonski threw seven innings of relief in game one of the series after entering the circle at the start of the second inning following an injury to the starting pitcher. Jablonski allowed three runs while tossing the final seven innings of Nebraska’s 7-4, eight inning win while going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, home run and two RBI. In game two, she once again entered in relief after entering the game in the bottom of the first inning with the Huskers trailing 1-0 with the bases loaded. Jablonski allowed only one inherited runner to score and went on to throw seven innings, where she allowed only one earned run. At the plate, Jablonski went 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI as the Huskers took the game with an 8-3 win. Jablonski then came through again in the series finale, leading Nebraska to a 9-4 victory to earn the series sweep. She threw the final six innings of the win, allowing three runs to cross the plate while going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and scoring twice.
Jablonski finished the week with a 3-0 record, allowing only seven runs for a 2.45 ERA in 20 innings pitched while issuing eight strikeouts. At the plate, Jablonski finished the week with a .545 batting average (6-for-11) with three doubles, one home run and four RBI with three runs scored. She averaged at least two hits per game, including at least one extra-base hit each game, while amassing a 1.091 slugging percentage.
“This is a tremendous honor for both Kaylan, her teammates and coaches, and the entire Nebraska Softball program,” said Nebraska Head Coach Rhonda Revelle. “Kaylan is a tremendously gifted athlete who was a warrior for us all weekend long. She battled and led us every pitch, both in the box, and on the mound. Her performance and competitive spirit were inspiring to play behind and watch from the dugout. Thank you USA Softball for this prestigious award.”
This marks the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honor for a Nebraska athlete since the 2004 season when Peaches James earned the accolades for Week 9 and Week 14.
2017 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week
Week 1 (Feb. 9-12): Sierra Hyland – Cal Poly – Senior – Pitcher – Visalia, Calif.
Week 2 (Feb. 13-19): Alyssa Denham – Louisiana – Freshman – Pitcher – Alvin, Texas
Week 3 (Feb. 20-26): Mo Mercado – Arizona – Senior – Infield – Temecula, Calif.
Week 4 (Feb. 27-March 5): Nicole Schroeder – Arkansas – Senior – Outfield – Yorba Linda, Calif.
Week 5 (March 6-12): Alexis Osorio – Alabama – Junior – Pitcher – Riverside, Calif.
Co-Week 6 (March 13-19): Braxton Burnside – Missouri – Freshman – Infield – Paragould, Ark.
Co-Week 6 (March 13-19): Sierra Hyland – Cal Poly – Senior – Pitcher – Visalia, Calif.
Week 7 (March 20-26): Danielle O’Toole – Arizona – Senior – Pitcher – Upland, Calif.
Week 8 (March 27 – April 2): Kaylan Jablonski – Nebraska – Junior – Pitcher – Omaha, Neb.
About USA Softball
USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 150,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2 million. USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
About the NCAA Women’s College World Series
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field serves as the home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS). For the 27th year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and compete for a national championship. Last year, over 78,000 fans attended the WCWS. Be there to Share The Experience with softball fans from across the country June 1-7 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2017 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and secure your championship experience!