IRVINE, Calif. – This week’s PacWest Softball Players of the Week are Hawai’i Hilo’s Colleen Aubrey and Vanessa Salinas, Academy of Art’s Haily MacDonald and Dixie State’s Janessa Bassett. The awards are based on games played March 23.29.
 
Co-Player of the Week – Colleen Aubrey (Hawai’i Hilo)
OF, Sr., Sunnyvale, Calif./Homestead
 
Aubrey was stellar in a busy week for UHH, batting .528 (19-26) in 11 games, with seven doubles, 10 RBI and 15 runs scored. She had multiple hits in seven games and went 4-for-6 in a doubleheader sweep of Notre Dame de Namur. She was named to the all-tournament team at the Tournament of Champions, hitting .480 as the Vulcans went 6-1 and won the Bronze Bracket title. She was She was 4-for-5 with three runs scored against Holy Names. She leads the PacWest in batting average (.474) and on-base percentage (.567).
 
Co-Player of the Week – Haily MacDonald (Academy of Art)
OF, Sr., Santa Rosa, Calif./Ursuline
 
MacDonald was also named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team, batting .560 (14-25) with six RBI and eight runs scored. She was also a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts. She set the ART U single-game record with five steals against Simon Fraser and hit her first-career grand slam against Chaminade. MacDonald ranks second in the PacWest in batting average (.456) and stolen bases (21).
 
Pitcher of the Week – Vanessa Salinas (Hawai’i Hilo)
RHP, Sr., Madera, Calif./Madera
 
Salinas continued to be one of the best all-around players in the PacWest. She posted a 7-0 record in nine appearances as a pitcher and hit .318 (7-22). She struck out 27, walked five and posted a 1.71 ERA in 45.0 innings pitched. She threw five complete games and struck out six in the first game of the week at Holy Names. She hit a three-run home run in the win over Western Oregon and was named to the TOC All-Tournament Team. Salinas is third in the PacWest in ERA (2.05) and fifth in strikeouts (67).
 
Newcomer of the Week – Janessa Bassett (Dixie State)
OF, Fr., Stansbury Park, Utah/Tooele
 
Bassett earned her second weekly honor with three solid games in a short week for the fifth-ranked Red Storm. She batted .857 (6-7) with three RBI and four runs scored. She posted a 1.286 slugging percentage and a .900 on-base percentage. She went 2-for-3 with a double against DI Southern Utah and then 4-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored in the first win over Colorado Mesa. Bassett leads the PacWest in runs scored (46) and is fourth in hits (53), batting average (.438) and on-base percentage (.537).