ROXANNA PALACIOS NAMED GSC WEST DIVISION SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK

        BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Arkansas Tech’s Roxanna Palacios has been named the Gulf South Conference’s West Division Softball Player of the Week for the first time this season on Tuesday by the league office.

Palacios, a sophomore catcher from Crosby, Texas, and a transfer from Oklahoma Panhandle State, earns this week’s Player of the Week honor after collecting eight hits in 13 at-bats and leading Tech to a 3-1 record for the week. The 3-1 record moved the Golden Suns into sole possession of first place in the West Division standings entering the final week of the regular season. It is the seventh time this season that the GSC as honored a Golden Suns as either the Player or Pitcher of the Week. Sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) has been named the GSC Pitcher of the Week three times (Feb. 26, March 17, March 25), while senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) has been named the Pitcher of the Week two times (Feb. 12 and April 15) and junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) was named the West Division Player of the Week on March 18.

For the week, Palacios anchored Tech’s offense as she went 8-for-11 at the plate with a .727 batting average, along with adding three RBIs and scored two runs. In addition, she was on base 75 percent of the time and helped a Tech pitching staff that allowed only six runs in four games last week.

On the season, Palacios is hitting .341 with 47 hits in 138 at-bats. She has seen action in and started 50 games and has scored 13 runs and driven in 25 runs. In addition, she has had three doubles, two triples and has a .391 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage.

In addition to Palacios, Henderson State freshman pitcher Lauren Carley was named the West Division Pitcher of the Week, while Alabama-Huntsville sophomore outfielder Kristina Prater and West Alabama junior pitcher Brittany McGee were named the GSC East Division Player and Pitcher of the Week respectively.

Palacios and her Golden Suns teammates will close out the 2008 regular season on Saturday, April 26, at home to play Henderson State in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex.

2008 GSC Weekly Softball Release

-- Tech Athletics --