MWC Weekly Honors Go to Atagi, Almond

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- BYU third baseman Caschjen Atagi and University of Utah designated player Brittany Parker have been named Mountain West Softball Co-Players of the Week, while BYU freshman Tori Almond has been named Pitcher of the Week, for games played from April 18-24.

BYU was 4-0 last week, including 3-0 in conference action, and are tied with Utah atop the MWC standings at 5-1. It is the first weekly honor of Parker and Atagi’s careers and the second honor for Almond this season.

Atagi, a 5-3 senior from Imperial, Calif., led the Cougars to a 4-0 record last week with a non-conference win against neighbor Utah Valley and a 3-0 league weekend against Colorado State and New Mexico. The former Caschjen Davis started off the week with a run and two walks against UVU on Tuesday before breaking out in three Conference games. Atagi was 2-for-3, both home runs, with three runs scored, four RBI and a walk against New Mexico on Thursday in the 11-3 win in Provo. Her strong hitting continued the next two days against Colorado State. Against the Rams on Friday, Atagi went 1-for-1, a home run, with two runs scored, four RBI and two walks in the 15-0 win. In the series closer on Saturday, she was 1-for-3 with two RBI in the 8-0 win.

Almond, a 6-1 freshman from South Jordan, Utah, did not allow a run all week, going 2-0 in three appearances for BYU for a 0.00 ERA. She allowed just four hits, none of which went for extra bases, while holding opponents to a .105 average. Almond came on for four innings of relief against Utah Valley on Tuesday, earning the 7-3 win after giving up no hits, no runs and just one walk with three strikeouts to help BYU get the come-from-behind win. In BYU's first game against Colorado State on Friday, Almond pitched the final two innings of the game, again allowing no hits, no runs and no walks with a strikeout, combining with starting pitcher Paige Affleck for a one-hit 15-0 shutout. Almond started the second game against the Rams on Saturday, allowing no runs for the third time with just one walk and four hits while striking out seven batters, one short of the freshman's career high, to pitch the complete-game 8-0 shutout.

Parker, a 5-9 senior from Murray, Utah, led the Utes to a 3-0 record last week in Conference play at home against Colorado State and New Mexico to earn Co-Player honors. For the week, Parker was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with three home runs, eight RBI and four runs scored. Against Colorado State on Thursday, Parker got a pinch-hit grand slam in the first ream of the 15-4 six-inning victory at Bruin Field in Taylorsville, Utah. On Saturday, she was 3-for-3 with four RBI and two home runs as the Utes starting designated player in a 12-9 win over New Mexico.