Pioneer softball player collects conference player of the week honors
Junior catcher Taylor Neumann hit .538, scored six runs, drove in 11 runs and hit three homers last week.
- March 14, 2011
Following a stellar week at the plate for Cal State East Bay, softball player Taylor Neumann was named the Worth/CCAA Player of the Week on Monday. The junior helped guide the Pioneers (11-13, 6-12 CCAA) to four victories in five days last week, including a 3-1 series win over Humboldt State.
The Moorpark native had a productive week at the plate, leading East Bay to a 4-4 record against CCAA rivals Chico State and Humboldt State. Neumann batted .538 (14-for-26) with six runs scored, a double, three home runs and 11 RBIs while posting a .923 slugging percentage and .586 on-base percentage.
The catcher, who hit safely in all eight games, batted .417 (5-for-12) against Chico State and followed that effort by going 9-for-14 (.643) with five runs scored, three home runs and nine RBI against Humboldt. In back-to-back games against the Lumberjacks, she was 5-for-7 with four runs scored, had a pair of home runs and drove in nine runs.
In Friday's 11-3, eight-run-rule victory over Humboldt State, Neumann broke open a 3-3 tie with her first of three homers in the series. Neumann finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored and followed that performance with a two-homerun game in Saturday's game-one win. Neumann went yard twice in Saturday's first game, plating five runs and going 3-for-4 at the plate, while driving in the winning run for the second straight game. Neumann also scored the Pioneers' only run while going 3-for-4 in East Bay's lone loss against the Jacks.
Neumann now leads all Cal State East Bay starters in batting average (.325), runs (13) and RBI (18) this season. Behind the plate, Neumann also helped the Pioneer pitchers strikeout 24 batters and post a 3.95 ERA and gunned down a pair of runners on the basepaths.
The Player of the Week honor is the first for the Pioneers since joining the CCAA last season. Neumann joins women's basketball's Sarah Finlay, volleyball's Roxanne Neely and water polo's Jayme Pekarske and Whitney Bell as Cal State East Bay's conference player of the week honorees during the 2010-11 season.
Cal State East Bay returns to action this weekend when they play host to a pair of non-conference doubleheaders against Holy Names and Dominican. The Pioneers will meet the Hawks on Saturday at noon before facing the Penguins on Sunday at noon.