Texas Longhorns Softball – Taylor Thom named Big 12 Player of the Week

 

IRVING, Texas—Texas senior shortstop Taylor Thom has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week for her performance during last week’s games against Texas State and Texas Tech, the conference office announced today.

Thom helped the Longhorns go 3-1 on the week by hitting an impressive .727 over the four-game stretch, going 8-for-11 at the dish with seven runs scored. She hit three home runs, including her fifth career grand slam in last Wednesday’s game against Texas State, and produced nine RBIs.

The Cedar Park, Texas native, who is the school’s all-time leader in career RBIs (165), had seven of her nine on the week against Texas State, helping the Longhorns put up 19 runs, which was the second-most scored in a game in program history.

Entering the weekend with a lifetime .517 batting average against Texas Tech, Thom pounded out five more hits and scored four runs against the Red Raiders in this past weekend’s three-game series. After being hurt by her in the first two games, the Red Raiders intentionally walked Thom twice in the series finale on Sunday.

Over the course of the week, she raised her batting average by 32 points (.357 to .389). Thom, who was a Big 12 First Team honoree and NFCA Third Team All-American in 2013, is one of eight players hitting .300 or better for the Longhorns, who are ranked third in the nation in hitting (.348), this season.

Oklahoma sophomore RHP Kelsey Stevens was named the Big 12’s Pitcher of the Week in the same release.

For Thom, this marks the third time in her career that she has been named the Big 12’s Player of the Week and first since being honored in back-to-back weeks (Feb. 19 and Feb. 26, 2013) last season. She is the second Longhorn to be honored by the league this season, joining sophomore Lindsey Stephens (March 4).

Texas (23-16, 3-1) picks up action later this week when it opens up a three-game Big 12 series at Iowa State on Friday at 4:00 p.m. CT.