Home runs and big hits gives Southern Miss the softball Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week.
Sophomore Hannah Christian earned the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday, March 24. Over four games, Christian went 9-14 from the plate to give her a .643 batting average and earned three runs, including a home run. Christian also assisted in earning six runs for her teammates with six runs batted in.
Christian shared her excitement when she received the news.
“Well Coach Poole had called me, and I was just getting out of class,” Christian said. “I was very excited and just very grateful that the Sun Belt recognized me and chose to choose me. And it was just very exciting.”
Assistant Coach Caleb Toshcoff said that Christian always plays to win.
“She’s a fierce competitor,” Troscoff said. “And it’s very contagious. She wants to win as much, if not more, than anyone else out there. And it shows in what she does every single day.”
Coach Toshcoff also shared that Christian’s impact goes far beyond what fans see on the field.
“Off the field I think she brings some good leadership and experience for our athletes,” Troscoff said. “She’s only a sophomore, but she was able to get good experience last year as a freshmen, and so a lot of the new kids look up to her and she knows how to do things the right way.”
Hailing from Alabama, Christian shared how her family got her into softball.
“I also have a twin sister, Olivia, on the team,” Christian said. “And our mom asked us if we wanted to play softball when we were younger, and of course we did. And it really just stuck ever since and it’s been such a huge part in my life. And it really shaped me into the person I am and gave me so many experiences. Just really grateful for it.”
Once she completes her time at Southern Miss, Christian said she looks forward to using her skills that she learned on and off the field in her future career as a physical therapist.
To find times to see Christian and Southern Miss softball play, visit www.southernmiss.com.
