LSU junior shortstop Bianka Bell earned her second consecutive Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, and freshman pitcher Carley Hoover was named SEC’s Freshman of the Week, the league announced Monday.
Bell became the only player in program history be named SEC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks. Hoover is the Tigers’ second freshman pitcher to earn SEC Freshman of the Week after freshman pitcher Allie Walljasper picked up the honor earlier this season.
Hoover and Bell helped lead the Tigers (30-1, 5-1 SEC) to a non-conference win against Nicholls State and a two-game series sweep against No. 6 Oklahoma.
Bell continued her dominance at the plate in the Tigers’ three games, hitting .700 with seven hits, nine RBIs and three runs scored. With her three homers on the weekend, Bell is tied for LSU’s home run lead with sophomore catcher/infielder Sahvanna Jaquish with 12 homers.
In LSU’s two-game series with the Sooners, Bell led the Tigers’ offense in both games, scoring the only run in Game 1 with a solo home run. In Game 2, Bell exploded for her first multiple home run game of the season, hitting a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fifth.
While Bell created offense, Hoover shut out the one of the nations’ best lineups in Game 1 against Oklahoma. Although the Sooners came into the series leading the nation in batting average, Hoover gave up only two hits while allowing Oklahoma to hit only .091 against her.
The top-ranked Tigers will host South Alabama at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Tiger Park.