INDIANAPOLIS – Youngstown State swept this week’s Nike® #HLSB awards as the Penguins posted a 4-0 record at the Hampton University Tournament. Nikki Saibene led the Penguins offensively with a .636 batting average, two runs scored, a double, home run and six runs batted in while slugging .714 with three multi-hit games to earn Player of the Week honors. Elle Buffenbarger went 3-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average, 20 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .156 in 13.2 innings pitched in the circle to pick up Pitcher of the Week recognition.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK | NIKKI SAIBENE | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | SENIOR | INF | MASSILLON, OHIO
Nikki Saibene led the Penguins to a 4-0 week with a .636 batting average, two runs scored, a double, home run and six runs batted in. She also posted a slugging percentage of 1.000 and an on-base percentage of .714 for an OPS of 1.714. Saibene posted three multi-hit games last week and went 7-of-11 in four games. She went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in a 7-2 win over Norfolk State and went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in against Penn on Feb. 26. She also had two hits against Hampton on Feb. 25.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK | ELLE BUFFENBARGER | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | SENIOR | P | MASON, OHIO
Elle Buffenbarger went 3-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average, 20 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .156 in 13.2 innings pitched. She also became the Penguins’ all-time strikeout leader, breaking the old mark of 565 set by Casey Crozier from 2011-14. Buffenbarger now has 583 career strikeouts. She struck out eight in 6.2 innings and allowed just four hits in a 4-1 over Penn on Feb. 25. In a relief outing against Norfolk State, Buffenbarger fired five scoreless innings and struck out 10 in the 7-2 victory, and whiffed two in two innings of relief in a 5-3 win over Penn.
2022 Nike® #HLSB Players of the Week
February 15 – Tara McElligott, UIC
February 22 – Charlotte Grover, RMU
March 1 – Nikki Saibene, Youngstown State
2022 Nike® #HLSB Pitchers of the Week
February 15 – Melissa Holzopfel, Cleveland State
February 22 – Abby Gawlinski, Green Bay
March 1 – Elle Buffenbarger, Youngstown State
