Special to the Reporter

For the first time in school history, a Pacific University fastpitch softball player — Redmond High graduate Ashley Mitchell — has been named Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Hitter of the Week.

Mitchell, a junior at the Forest Grove, Ore. school, was also named Northwest Conference Position Student-Athlete of the Week and Women Play Ball Division III Athlete of the Week. She helped lead Pacific to a 4-0 record last week.

“Ashley is a selfless and team-first player,” said Pacific softball head coach Liz Yandall. “It is great to see her hard work pay off and for her to get this recognition.”

At the plate, Mitchell finished with a .615 batting average on eight hits, including three home runs and eight runs batted in. Mitchell posted a 1.385 slugging percentage in Pacific’s four victories.

Mitchell drove in three game-winning runs last weekend, twice through a home run. The first game winner came in a 2-0 victory at Willamette, where Mitchell hit a solo bomb in a 2-for-3 showing at the plate.

The second game winner came in the first inning of Pacific’s 1-0 home victory over No. 17 Linfield, which snapped the Wildcats’ 26-game winning streak against the Boxers. In the end cap of the doubleheader, Mitchell ripped a walk-off two-run homer to earn Pacific its first sweep of the Wildcats since the 1998 season.

In game two of Pacific’s doubleheader at Willamette, Mitchell finished the 9-4 victory with a 4-for-4 outing and ripped a three-run home run to left field.

At press time, Mitchell led the conference with three home runs and 14 runs batted in.

Mitchell was an All-Northwest Conference Second Team selection in 2014 and has previously been recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as an All-American Scholar-Athlete during her freshman season.