NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University centerfielder
Candace Slaw was named the National Player of the Week Tuesday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Slaw led the Captains to a 6-0 record last week and has been the squad's top hitter this year during a 12-0 start to the season.
Slaw, a sophomore from Warsaw, Va., had an astounding stretch, hitting .783 (18 for 23) over the six victories. The Rookie of the Year last year in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference stole six bases and scored ten runs as the Captains swept Averett and then won four straight games in a tournament in North Carolina.
Slaw had a perfect four-for-four day vs. Arcadia on Saturday and also recorded three games with three base hits in the two-day Grand Slam Triangle Classic in Raleigh, N.C. Four of her 18 hits were doubles, as she posted a slugging percentage of .957. Slaw's batting average for the season has now risen to .690.
Slaw and the Captains return to action on Friday, hosting the top-ranked team in the country, East Texas Baptist University, at Captains Park. The game will be part of the Cross Bay Bash, and is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. The Captains are also scheduled to play George Fox University Friday at 5:00 p.m. at Captains Park, and play will continue Saturday and Sunday in the Cross Bay Bash. Two other Top 25 programs will also be playing in the Bash at Captains Park over the weekend, 16th-ranked Pfeiffer and 22nd-ranked Moravian.
Earlier in the day Tuesday, the NFCA released its new weekly national poll, which has the Captains seventh for the second straight week. The complete National Top 25:
Rank Team Pts. Rec Last Week
| 1 |
East Texas Baptist (10) |
250 |
15-1 |
1 |
| 2 |
Linfield |
240 |
9-1 |
3 |
| 3 |
Case Western Reserve |
230 |
7-3 |
2 |
| 4 |
Rowan |
220 |
8-0 |
4 |
| 5 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
210 |
8-0 |
5 |
| 6 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
200 |
10-0 |
6 |
| 7 |
Christopher Newport |
190 |
12-0 |
7 |
| 8 |
Texas Lutheran |
180 |
16-0 |
8 |
| 9 |
Redlands |
170 |
13-2 |
10 |
| 10 |
Huntingdon |
160 |
14-2 |
11 |
| 11 |
Trine |
150 |
10-4 |
9 |
| 12 |
Williams |
140 |
2-0 |
12 |
| 13 |
Salisbury |
130 |
7-1 |
13 |
| 14 |
Belhaven |
120 |
10-5 |
14 |
| 15 |
Central |
110 |
2-2 |
16 |
| 16 |
Pfeiffer |
100 |
11-3 |
17 |
| 17 |
Berry |
90 |
12-4 |
15 |
| 18 |
Calvin |
80 |
4-2 |
18 |
| 19 |
Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
70 |
11-1 |
22 |
| 20 |
Tufts |
60 |
1-5 |
20 |
| 21 |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
50 |
0-0 |
21 |
| 22 |
Moravian |
34 |
7-1 |
NR |
| 23 |
Randolph-Macon |
19 |
8-2 |
23 |
| 24 |
Gettysburg |
17 |
7-2 |
NR |
| 25 |
DePauw |
10 |
6-4 |
RV |
Others receiving votes: Saint Mary's (Minn.) 7, Rochester 6, Emory 3, St. John Fisher 3 and Muskingum 1.
.
