Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio State Earn Big Ten Weekly Softball Awards

Fighting Illini’s Sickels, Huskers’ Andrews and Buckeyes’ Hackenbracht receive top conference honors this week

Player of the Week

Sam Hackenbracht, Ohio State

So. – C/UTL – Massillon, Ohio – Massillon Washington – Major: Middle Childhood Education

• Batted .833 with a 2.333 slugging percentage and .857 on-base percentage in last weekend’s series at Penn State, blasting three home runs with eight RBI and five hits in the two games she played (missed series opener due to illness)

• Went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI (tying for fifth in school history) in the nightcap of an April 3 doubleheader sweep at Penn State

• Added a two-run home run in a five-inning win on Sunday

• Earns her first career Player of the Week honor

• Last Ohio State Player of the Week: Lilli Piper (April 22, 2019)

Pitcher of the Week

Sydney Sickels, Illinois

Jr. – RHP – Indianola, Iowa – Indianola – Major: Kinesiology

• Went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and two complete-game shutouts in last weekend’s series at Wisconsin, adding 24 strikeouts (12 in each game) and walking only three while allowing six hits in 14.0 innings

• Tossed a one-hit shutout in Sunday’s series finale, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the third time this season

• Received Academic All-Big Ten honors last year

• Collects her third career Pitcher of the Week plaudit and second this season

• Last Illinois Pitcher of the Week: Sydney Sickels (March 16, 2021)

Freshman of the Week

Billie Andrews, Nebraska

IF – Gretna, Neb. – Gretna – Major: Graphic Design

• Registered a .467 batting average, .800 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage in last weekend’s four-game series split at Rutgers, collecting a home run, seven hits, three RBI and four runs scored

• Had a hit and a run in all four games of the series, including extra-base hits in three of the four contests

• Went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI in a series-opening win on April 2, and gave the Huskers the lead with a sixth-inning home run in Sunday’s series finale

• Receives her second career Freshman of the Week award

• Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Billie Andrews (March 30, 2021)

2021 Big Ten Players of the Week

March 2
PL: Tristen Edwards, Sr., NEB

P: Meghan Beaubien, Sr., MICH

P: Danielle Williams, Jr., NU 

F: Ashley Miller, MSU

March 9
No Selections

March 16
PL: MaKenna Partain, Grad., MINN

P: Sydney Sickels, Jr., ILL

F: Sara Kinch, MINN

March 23
No Selections

March 30
PL: Morgan Newport, Grad., NU

P: Alex Storako, Jr., MICH

F: Billie Andrews, NEB

April 6
PL: Sam Hackenbracht, So., OSU

P: Sydney Sickels, Jr., ILL

F: Billie Andrews, NEB