VALDOSTA, GA – Over the span of five games last week, Valdosta State softball’s Courtney Albritton put up an array of statistics that many players don’t achieve in a full year. Her efforts earned the attention of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, and on Wednesday, she was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player-of-the-Week.
“It is such an honor to be selected for this award, but I feel like it should go to my whole team after the week we all had,” said Albritton. “Brianna Hancock did an amazing job for us in the circle, and when one of us gets things started, we all just seem to play off of it. Who wouldn’t want to back up such great pitching performances by Bri and Maci Fletcher? God chose to give us these talents. It’s our job to make the most of them in His name.”
The honor marks the fourth time in history that a VSU softball player has received the award, and the first time since the Blazers’ National Championship season, when Alanna Hadley was named the NFCA Pitcher-of-the-Week in late March of 2012.
Albritton’s 13 at bats on the week included 10 hits, eight of which were extra base hits and seven of which were home runs. The effort was good for a batting average of .769 on the week, an on base percentage of .813, and a slugging percentage of 2.462. In addition, she drew two walks, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base.
The best game of the week for Albritton came during the back end of a Saturday double header against the Gulf South Conference foe Christian Brothers Lady Bucs, when the Tiftarea Academy graduate went a perfect 3-for-3 with one walk. Each of her three hits in that game were home runs. She went deep at least once in each of last week’s five games, and has led off the first inning with a home run six times this year. She has at least one round tripper in six of the Blazers’ last seven games, and her 16 homers on the season have placed her in a three-way tie for the national lead.
“It’s a great accomplishment for Courtney,” said Head Coach Thomas Macera. “She’s a student of the game, she works incredibly hard, and all of that shows in her performance week in and week out. Courtney is a tough out, and the amazing part is, she’s probably the most humble player I’ve ever coached. No matter how she’s playing at the moment, she continuously puts in the work, and that’s why she is able to consistently perform at such a high level.”
To go along with the national award, Albritton’s spellbinding seven day stretch also earned the center fielder her fifth career GSC Player-of-the-Week award earlier this week.
Albritton looks to extend her current eleven-game hitting streak this weekend, as the No. 18 Blazers travel to Union in Jackson, Tenn. to face the Lady Bulldogs in a double header on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
Source: Valdosta State University Athletics
