by HAMMOND, La. – After helping the Southeastern Louisiana softball team to a 4-1 week, including a road sweep at Southland Conference foe Northwestern State, SLU senior infielder Mahalia Gibson (MS Choctaw) was named the league’s Hitter of the Week, presented by UniversalCoin.com.
Gibson is the first Lady Lion to receive weekly honors this season. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native ends a weekly award drought that dates back to Feb. 14, 2017, when then-sophomore Jaquelyn Ramon earned Southland Hitter of the Week accolades.
Gibson started off the week hot, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and two RBI in an 8-2 win at UL Monroe. She also hit safely in the next three games of the week, including a three-RBI performance in SLU’s 11-6 comeback win at NSU. For the week, she hit .471 (8-for-17) with two home runs, six RBI, a double and a .882 slugging percentage.
Gibson’s week continues what has been a tremendous senior campaign for the 2017 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year. In her second season out of East Central (Miss.) Community College, Gibson ranks among the league leaders in home runs (9, 3rd), RBI (41, 2nd), slugging percentage (.638, 2nd), doubles (9, 6th) and total bases (81, 3rd).
Gibson has been a key part of a Southeastern lineup that is hitting .285 and that has helped the Lady Lion softball team move into a four-way tie for first in the league standings.
Abilene Christian senior pitcher Hannah Null was named the Southland Pitcher of the Week on Monday. SLU senior Rachel Hayes was named to the honorable mention list for pitchers.
Southland Conference weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own student-athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on at least 25 percent of ballots.
