Oklahoma State’s Tarah Ettinger and Kansas’ Kelsey Kessler have been named Big 12 Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week. The award is Ettinger’s first of her career while Kessler picks up her second honor of the season.

Big 12 Player of the Week
Tarah Ettinger, Oklahoma State, Jr., INF, Plainfield, Ill.
Ettinger hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning on Saturday that ended up being the difference maker in the Cowgirls’ 2-1 win over No. 6 Texas. She went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 7-2 loss to the Longhorns on Sunday.

The junior batted .444 (4-for-9) with a .889 slugging percentage in three games against Texas, helping OSU win its first series over the Longhorns since 2001.

Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Kelsey Kessler, Kansas, Fr., RHP, Blue Springs, Mo.For the second week in a row, Kessler notched a win over a nationally-ranked team as the Jayhawks defeated top-ranked Oklahoma 2-0 on Sunday in Lawrence. The win marked KU’s first win over a No.1 team in school history.

Kessler scattered seven hits over seven innings, shutting out Sooners for just the second time this season. The effort was her fifth shutout of 2013 and included two walks and four strikeouts, while leaving four stranded in scoring position.

With the shutout performance, the freshman surpassed the 100-strikeout plateau (102) and leads the Jayhawks with a 2.07 ERA in Big 12 action.

2013 Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Week