Scots Sweep MWC Player of the Week Honors

Release Date: April 24, 2001

Monmouth College recorded a clean sweep of the Midwest Conference’s South Division diamond honors this week, as Fighting Scots baseball player Taylor Thiel and softballer Jen Witmer were each selected MWC Player of the Week.

Thiel, a junior catcher from Galesburg, led the Scots to a four-game sweep of defending South Division champion Grinnell by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs in three different games. His numbers for the week were 6-for-14 (.429) with nine RBIs and a slugging percentage of .786.

"Taylor had a huge hit in the first game," said coach Roger Sander. "They walked Joe Larkins intentionally to load the bases, and Taylor deposited the first pitch over the center fielder’s head. It was just crushed. That hit set the tone for the whole week for us."

Much of the credit for the success of Monmouth’s pitching staff has also gone to Thiel’s defensive work behind the plate, and the Scots allowed just five earned runs in the four games against the Pioneers.

Witmer, a junior center fielder from Polo, has been a contender for the Player of the Week honor regularly this season, and she finally won the award thanks in part to an historic game against Ripon. She became the first Fighting Scot softball player to ever hit for the cycle, accomplishing the feat in a 4-for-4 performance against the Red Hawks.

She finished Monmouth’s five-game series at the inaugural Midwest Conference Classic with a .500 average (8-for-16), a 1.188 slugging percentage, two doubles, a triple, two homers, six runs and five RBI. Three of those RBI came on a bases-loaded triple that was the key blow in an 8-0 win over Beloit.

Baseball | Softball