Former Hays High School standout Anna Hernandez was just named the College Sports Madness Southland Conference Player of the Week. She had key hits against Houston and No. 24 Nebraska to lead the Bobcats to victories. (Photo courtesy of Texas State University)
by JASON GORDON
Former Hays High School standout Anna Hernandez was just named the College Sports Madness Southland Conference Player of the Week.
This is the second week in a row a Bobcat player has received the award.
Hernandez, a 2009 Hays graduate, led Texas State with eight hits, including two homeruns in a week where the Bobcats played five nationally-ranked opponents in seven games.
Hernandez reached base in six of seven contests and drove in the decisive run in a win over the University of Houston. She also led the Bobcats to a victory against No. 24 Nebraska in dramatic fashion with a two-run game-winning homer.
For the season, Hernandez is second on the team with a .290 batting average. She is also second on the team with nine RBIs. Hernandez was named the district’s offensive most valuable player during her senior season at Hays.
In addition, Texas State junior Travis Ballew has earned his first-ever Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after his career night against Notre Dame last Saturday. In that game, he struck out a 11 batters as part of a three-hit complete game shutout of the Fighting Irish.
The junior from Rockwall allowed just three singles for the game and did not walk a single batter. Ballew retired the first seven batters of the game and then had a stretch of 14 consecutive batters retired between the third and eighth innings.
For the season, Ballew is 3-0 in three starts with a 1.33 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings on the mound. He has allowed just eight walks and is holding opponents to a .236 batting average.
