Stokes Named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week

Senior center fielder Kiki Stokes was honored for a terrific weekend on Monday, when she was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week. The award was the first weekly honor for Stokes this season and the second of her career.

Stokes' big weekend began Thursday night when she was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft, becoming the highest draft pick in school history. Stokes then played a leading role in Nebraska becoming the first team to sweep a three-game Big Ten Conference series on Northwestern's home field since the league moved to three-game series in 2012.

Stokes hit .417 in the series and reached base multiple times in every game. She slugged three home runs in the three games and totaled four RBIs, four walks and four runs scored. In game one, Stokes stepped to the plate with one out in the seventh inning and Nebraska trailing by one and hit a game-winning two-run homer. The next day, she drew three walks and stole a base in the Huskers' 8-1 victory. In the series finale, Stokes was 4-for-7 in Nebraska's 11-9 11-inning victory. Stokes tied her career highs with four hits and two home runs in the win, and she also scored three times.

On the season, Stokes ranks second in the Big Ten with 54 hits, third with a .412 batting average, fourth with 46 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, sixth with 27 walks and seventh with a .524 on-base percentage.

Stokes shared the player-of-the-week honor with Sara Groenewegen of Minnesota, Nebraska's opponent this weekend. Michigan's Megan Betsa was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. Stokes joined junior MJ Knighten as the only Huskers to be named the Big Ten Player of the Week this season, while junior Cassie McClure has twice been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.