MSU's Ka'ili Smith Named SEC Freshman Of The Week
May 04, 2009 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State freshman outfielder Ka'ili Smith has been named the Southeastern Conference Softball Freshman of the Week following the Bulldogs' sweep of Ole Miss, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Smith hit .429 on Saturday as Mississippi State claimed 6-2 and 8-0 wins over the Rebels to improve to 26-26 overall and 8-19 in league play. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native added her team-leading 10th double of the season and drove in two runs while scoring another.
"It's great to see Ka'ili's contributions to our ball club recognized by the SEC. She had another outstanding effort against Ole Miss and was a big reason for us being able to sweep Saturday's two games," MSU head coach Jay Miller said. "It has been exciting to watch the progress that Ka'ili has made during her freshman season. She has a very bright future ahead of her."Â Â
The SEC Freshman of the Week honor is Smith's second of the season and the fourth for a Bulldog. She received the award back on March 9 after earning all-tournament honors for the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament in her home state of Hawaii. Pitcher Lindsey Dunlap earned the award March 30 and April 20.
Her stellar showing at that tournament proved to be a turning point to her freshman campaign. Smith headed back to her home state hitting .273, but since returning, she has hit .330 with four doubles, a triple, a home run, 21 RBI and 11 runs scored.
Smith stands second on the team with a .324 overall batting average (48-for-148). In addition to her team-high 10 doubles, she paces State in triples (4) and RBI (32) while scoring 21 runs.
Smith and her Bulldog teammates close the regular season Friday, hosting Mississippi Valley State in a 3 p.m. doubleheader at the MSU Softball Field. Admission to all MSU home softball games is free. Â
