Junior
catcher Taylor Edwards was named the first Big Ten Player of the Week for the
2013 season on Monday, following an outstanding season-opening performance at
the Hotel Encanto Invitational last weekend.
Edwards'
bat helped the Huskers to a 5-0 start to the season, tying the program's best
start since 2003. Edwards went 10-for-18 on the weekend, posting a .556 batting
average to go along with a .636 on-base percentage and 1.167 slugging
percentage. She also homered three times, doubled twice and drove in 15 runs.
Edwards led all Big Ten players in hits, RBIs and home runs, while ranking second
in slugging percentage, third in average and on-base percentage, fourth in runs
scored and fifth in doubles and walks (4).
Her
top performance of the weekend was a record-breaking effort against
Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. In that game, Edwards hit a pair of grand slams
to become the first Husker to hit two grand slams in one game. She finished
with eight RBIs in Nebraska's 13-4 victory, setting a school record for most
RBIs in a game. Edwards enjoyed another big game in the tournament finale
against New Mexico, finishing 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and five RBIs.
Overall, Edwards recorded four multi-hit performances in five games, while
producing three multi-RBI games. Her three home runs and 15 RBIs moved her into
Nebraska's all-time top 10 in both categories.
The
weekly award was the second of Edwards' career, and her first Big Ten honor.
Previously, Edwards was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 22, 2011. A
native of Murrieta, Calif., Edwards' high school teammate Sierra Romero
(Michigan) earned Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors, while Wisconsin's
Cassandra Darrah was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.
Edwards
and the rest of her teammates travel to Tucson, Ariz., this weekend for five
games in three days at the Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by the University
of Arizona.
