University of Minnesota Athletics
Tyler Walker Named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week
4/15/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 15, 2013
PARK RIDGE, ILL. - Sophomore Tyler Walker has been named co-Big Ten Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.
Walker helped Minnesota complete a weekend sweep at Illinois by batting .857 (6-for-7) with astronomical slugging (2.429) and on base (.917) percentages.
A shortstop from San Jose, Calif. (Valley Christian HS), Walker hit three home runs, a triple, scored six runs, had five runs batted in, drew four walks (without a strikeout), stole a base, and had a 1.000 fielding percentage for the weekend.
She opened the three-game series against the Illini by going 3-for-3 with a triple, two solo home runs, three runs scored and a pair of RBI in a 5-1 win on Saturday, and she capped the weekend by going 2-for-2 with a three-run home run and two runs scored in a 9-3 win.
It's the first Big Ten Player of the Week honor for Walker, who becomes the first Minnesota softball player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week since Megan Higginbotham on April 25, 2005.
The Gophers are 26-13 overall and stand alone in second place in the Big Ten standings at 9-3. Minnesota plays a doubleheader at Nebraska (30-9, 8-3 Big Ten) on Tuesday, with the first game against the Huskers set to begin at 4:00 p.m. CT.
