Hagemann Chosen as Pitcher of the Week

Freshman right-hander Ashley Hagemann was named the Big 12 Conference co-Pitcher of the Week by the league office on Tuesday, following a dominant debut at the UNI-Dome Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa, last weekend. Hagemann shared the honor with Baylor freshman Whitney Canion, while Oklahoma junior Amber Flores was selected as Big 12 Player of the Week.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Hagemann started two of the Huskers’ four games at the tournament, finishing with a 2-0 record and a 1.27 ERA. Hagemann worked 11.0 innings and allowed just four hits, as opponents hit a meager .105 against her. Appearing in her first collegiate tournament following a standout prep career at Elkhorn High School, Hagemann made an instant impact for the Huskers by dominating a high-scoring North Dakota lineup in her career debut.

Against the Fighting Sioux, Hagemann struck out 19 ? including 10 in a row at one point ? during a complete-game, one-hit performance. The 19 strikeouts are believed to be a Nebraska record for a seven-inning game and were just three shy of the overall school record of 22 strikeouts, which came in a 12-inning contest. The right-hander followed that performance by striking out five in four innings of work against host Northern Iowa. On the weekend, Hagemann averaged more than 15 strikeouts per seven innings while only 14 of the 41 batters she faced were able to put the ball in play.

Hagemann is the first pitcher honored with a weekly award from the conference since Ashley DeBuhr on April 17, 2007. Hagemann also joined All-American Peaches James as the only Husker freshmen to win the award. Hagemann and Canion became only the fifth and sixth freshmen in league history to be selected for the season’s first pitcher-of-the-week honor since the Big 12 was formed in 1997.