Loras' Hemm and Simpson's Held Named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week

Performers of the Week Announced in Three Sports

3/15/2022 12:36:35 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Loras College softball player Ashlyn Hemm (Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale) and Simpson College baseball player Brady Held (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Monday, March 14, 2022. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in baseball, softball, and men’s tennis.
Female Athlete of the Week - Softball – Pitcher of the Week17255
Ashlyn Hemm, Loras College
Fr., P, Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale
  • Loras’ freshman pitcher helped lead the Duhawks to a 2-0 start on their spring break trip in Florida.
  • Hemm shattered the program’s single-game strikeouts record in the win over Augsburg, striking out 20 of the 23 batters she faced.
  • Over the two games, Hemm recorded 26 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .056 batting average.
  • Game 1: Loras 3, Augsburg 0 – GS, CG, shutout, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 20 K, .043 BAA, 23 batters faced
  • Game 2: Oswego State 3, Loras 7 – 3.2 IP, 1 H, 6 K, .077 BAA, 13 batters faced
  • The Duhawks improved to 6-0 on the season.
  • The Port Byron native is picking up her second Pitcher of the Week honor this season (3/15/22, 2/28/22).
Male Athlete of the Week – Baseball – Pitcher of the Week17309
Brady Held, Simpson College
Sr., RHP, Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
  • In a seven-inning game against Beloit College, Held smashed a 17-year old program record for single game strikeouts recording 18.
  • The senior pitcher led the way, retiring the first 11 batters he faced via strikeout.
  • On the day, Held tallied 18 strikeouts while allowing just two hits and one walk.
  • On the offensive side of the ball, Held was 3-for-9 on the week.
  • In the Storm victory over St. Norbert (5-2), Held went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, and one run scored.
  • The Storm improved their record to 5-1 overall with two wins over Beloit College (3-1) (3-0), and a win over St. Norbert (5-2).
  • Held is a 2021 First Team All-Conference performer in addition to picking up honorable mention honors in 2019.
  • The Indianola, Iowa native is collecting his third-career Pitcher of the Week honor (3/15/22, 5/3/21, 3/11/19).
Baseball – Position Player of the Week
Evan Taylor, Buena Vista University
Fr., INF, Redfield, Iowa/Panorama
  • Taylor led the Beavers to a 4-4 week on their spring break trip to Arizona.
  • The freshman infielder batted .486 on the week, with multiple hits in six of the eight games.
  • Taylor was 17-for-35 from the plate with 10 runs, nine RBIs, three doubles, two triples, two homeruns, and four walks.
  • Game 1: #10 Aurora 6, BVU 7 – 2-for-3 (.667), 2 H, 1 2B, 1 HBP, 10 putouts
  • Game 2: Emerson 10, BVU 9 – 3-for-4 (.750), 2 R, 3 H, 2 RBI, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB
  • Game 3: Bethany Lutheran 7, BVU 10 – 2-for-3 (.667), 1 R, 2 H, 1 3B, 1 BB, 14 putouts
  • Game 4: BVU 20, Emerson 9 (F/7) – 3-for-5 (.600), 2 R, 3 H, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 putouts
  • Game 5: BVU 11, Wabash 5 – 2-for-6 (.333), 2 R, 2 H, 3 RBI, 1 2B
  • Game 6: BVU 8, Redlands 12 – 3-for-6 (.500), 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI, 1 HR
  • Game 7: BVU 7, #24 Chapman 8 – 1-for-5 (.200), 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI, 8 putouts
  • Game 8: Clermont-MS 18, BVU 6 (F/8) – 1-for-3 (.333), 1 R, 1 H, 1 2B, 1 BB
  • The Beavers improved to 7-4 on the season.
  • The Redfield, Iowa native is picking up his first-career Position Player of the Week accolade in a Beaver uniform.
Softball – Position Player of the Week17308
Emma Alfieri, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Jr., INF, Omaha, Neb./Millard South
  • The Prairie Wolves went 6-1 on the week during their spring break trip to Florida.
  • The junior infielder batted .609 on the week with 14 hits and 10 RBIs.
  • Game 1: NWU 1, Aurora 5 – 0-for-3 (.000), 1 assist
  • Game 2: Saint Joseph’s 1, NWU 9 (F/6) – 3-for-4 (.750), 2 R, 3 H, 1 RBI, 1 2B
  • Game 3: Cornell 8, NWU 9 (F/8) – 3-for-3 (1.000), 1 R, 3 H, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 putouts, 3 assists
  • Game 4: NWU 3, R.I.T. 1 – 0-for-2 (.000), 1 sacrifice hit
  • Game 5: NWU 15, Northland 4 (F/5) – 2-for-4 (.500), 4 R, 2 H, 1 RBI, 2 2B
  • Game 6: Minnesota Morris 0, NWU 11 (F/5) – 2-for-3 (.667), 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI, 1 2B
  • Game 7: TCNJ 7, NWU 8 – 4-for-4 (1.000), 1 R, 4 H, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 stolen base
  • The Prairie Wolves improved to 11-2 on the season.
  • Alfieri is a 2021 Honorable Mention performer.
  • The Omaha native is collecting her first-career Position Player of the Week honor.
Men’s Tennis – Player of the Week17307
Diego Diaz, Buena Vista University
Fr., LaPorte, Texas/LaPorte
  • The Beavers went 3-0 on the week with victories over St. John Fisher College (7-1), Gordon College (5-4), and Messiah University (5-4).
  • At No. 5 Singles, Diaz went 2-0 defeating Gordon’s Nathan Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4 and Messiah’s Josh Gengerich 8-6.
  • In doubles play at No. 2, Diaz partnered with Brenden Schlader and defeated St. John Fisher’s Jake Anthony and Zach Decaro (8-4), Gordon’s John Marineau and Alex Ryzi (8-3), and Messiah’s Michael Sell and Jonathan Barber (8-3).
  • The Beavers improved to 5-4 on the year.
  • Diaz is the second Beaver to collect men’s tennis Player of the Week honor.
  • The LaPorte native is picking up his first-career Player of the Week accolade.
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