Wingate's Maness and Catawba's Baquie Named South Atlantic Conference Varsity Gems Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Heaven Maness was selected as the South Atlantic Conference Varsity Gems Softball Player of the Week, while Catawba's Alexandra Baquie was named the South Atlantic Conference Varsity Gems Softball Pitcher of the Week for games played during week ten of the 2023 season, the Conference office announced today. 

Maness, a junior from Asheboro, N.C., had a huge week, going 8-11 (.727) with two homers, four doubles, nine RBI and seven runs scored, adding a stolen base. She posted a .769 on-base percentage and a 1.636 slugging percentage. Maness started her week by driving in nine runs in the doubleheader sweep over UNCP, blasting a homer in each game while piling up five hits and adding a pair of doubles on the day, scoring three times. She was 3-3 with two doubles and three runs scored in the opener against Limestone. She also scored a run in the finale against the Saints. 

Baquie, a freshman from Sanford, Fla., earned three wins on the week, improving her total to a SAC-best 16 wins on the season. She earned both winning decisions in the sweep at Limestone on Tuesday, striking out five in the complete game and allowing just one earned run, while coming in relief for Catawba's come-from-behind win in eight innings. The freshman right-hander also pitched a complete-game one-hit shutout on Thursday over Newberry in Catawba's 8-0 win. 

2023 SAC Varsity Gems Softball Players of the Week

Player of the Week
Feb. 7 – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
Feb. 14 – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
Feb. 21 – Savanna Balderston, Catawba
Feb. 28 – Chloe Freischmidt, Tusculum
March 7 – Hannah Reeves, Wingate
March 14 – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
March 21 – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
March 28 – Savanna Brooks, Wingate
April 4 – Katelyn Rackard, Lenoir-Rhyne
April 11 – Alexandra Baquie, Catawba

Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 7 – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Feb. 14 – Syerra Rogers, Carson-Newman
Feb. 21 – Jenae Fedewa, Coker
Feb. 28 – Raechel Cutcher, Wingate
March 7 – Alyssa Poston, Mars Hill
March 14 – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
March 21 – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
March 28 – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
April 4 – Olivia Chestnut, Newberry
April 11 – Heaven Maness, Wingate

Varsity Gems is an official corporate partner of the South Atlantic Conference and title sponsor of the Conference's Player of the Week awards program.

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