WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Shannon McMahon (El Cajon, Calif.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball Rookie of the Week for the week of March 11-17, it was announced today by the league.
McMahon becomes the second Shark this season to be named the top weekly rookie after Christie Bott (Seaford, N.Y.) was tabbed for the week of March 4-10.
The first year batted .333 (4-12) with a triple and home run to go with seven runs batted in, two walks and a pair of runs scored, while posting a .750 slugging average and a .429 on-base percentage to comprise a 1.179 OPS in four games. The catcher hit safely in three of four games and began the week by going 2-6 with two RBI, a walk and a run scored in a twinbill at host Emerson College on March 15. The Christian High School product struck out just once in 14 plate appearances and closed out the week by going 2-6 with a triple and her first collegiate homer, while driving in four runs, drawing a walk and scoring twice vs. number 23 nationally-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on March 16. McMahon split the twinbill between first base and catcher and her pair of extra-base knocks both came in the second game of the day.
McMahon has been one of the most productive hitters in the GNAC this season, leading the circuit with 10 RBI, while ranking fourth in home runs (one), fifth in triples (one), sixth in hits (12) and total bases (17) and 10th in walks (four) The rookie is currently hitting .279 (12-43) with a .340 on-base percentage and a .395 slugging average and has struck out just three times in 47 plate appearances. The West Coast native has gotten better when the spotlight has shown brightest, hitting .350 (7-20) with runners in scoring position and .368 (7-19) with two outs.
Simmons is currently 3-11 on the season and will be in action again on Wednesday, March 20 when it hosts nationally-ranked number five Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader at Daly Field.