Kuizin Named Crossroads League Player of the Week

Crossroads League Release | TU Honors Page

AVON, Ohio – The Crossroads League announced its player-of-the-week award winners on Monday, and Taylor's Cassie Kuizin was named the league's Softball Player of the Week.

Kuizin was spectacular at the plate last week, posting a batting average of .650, a slugging percentage of 1.800 and an on-base percentage of .741 to earn her first-career player-of-the-week honor. The Springfield, Illinois native blasted six home runs on the week, including streaks of three-straight at-bats and four-straight contests with a homer, while adding three doubles, a triple, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored.

The senior shortstop went 7-of-9 at the dish in Wednesday's sweep of Spring Arbor, going 4-for-4 in the first game and hitting for the cycle in order. In her final at-bat of game one, Kuizin hit the game-tying, two-run dinger to propel Taylor to the comeback win, before blasting two more bombs in her first two at-bats of the second outing. Kuizin then added two more home runs in game one against Bethel, belting a lead-off shot to begin the game and notching a grand slam in the second frame to end the game with a career-high six runs batted in.

Before tallying six home runs in six games last week, Kuizin had hit just five round-trippers in her previous 65 games at Taylor. Kuizin now ranks No. 2 in the NAIA this spring in total bases per game (3.2) and slugging percentage (1.016), No. 13 in runs scored per game (1.25) and No. 14 in home runs (8).

Kuizin and the Trojans (13-7, 7-5 CL) will return to action on Thursday, as the Purple and Gold travels to Mount Vernon Nazarene (16-4, 8-0) for a doubleheader, with the first pitch set for 3:00 pm.