By: Evan Smegal

One day after garnering Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors, the University of Minnesota Duluth catcher/utility Jessica Bren has been named the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Player of the Week. The award was announced Wednesday by the NFCA.  Bren is the first Bulldog to be a recipient of the national honor, and the first freshman this season to capture the distinction.

Bren hit .667, going 12-for-18 with seven home runs and a triple. She knocked in 15 RBI and scored 11 times to go along with five stolen bases. The ball looked like a beach ball at the plate as she posted a .684 on-base percentage and a 1.944 slugging percentage. The freshman from Victoria, Minn., is currently on a seven-game hitting streak including multi-hits in the last four, and has homered five times in the last three games. Bren launched a go-ahead two-run homer versus the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She stole a career high three bases against Mercyhurst University, then produced 4 RBI off two home runs in the Saint Anselm night game. Her best outing of the week came versus Georgian Court University, going 3-for-4 with a pair of two-run home runs and a collegiate-high five RBI.

UMD went a perfect 6-0 last week The Bulldogs have been on a torrid pace offensively this year and have Bren to thank. Bren has played all but one game this season and rightfully took over catching duties and the designated player slot. For the season, she is batting .464 with a .492 on-base percentage and a whooping 1.125 slugging percentage. In addition to leading the team in batting average and slugging, Bren ranks first in home runs (11), RBI (26) and total bases (63). She has reached base in all 17 games she has played. Nationally, her 11 home runs are fourth in the nation and her 0.65 home runs per game marks her second in Division II. She is also fourth in slugging percentage.

Bren and the Bulldogs, who were receiving votes in the newest coaches poll also released Wednesday, are 15-3 on the season after a successful 9-1 trip in the PFX Athletics Spring Games. The team returns to action on Friday for a six-game set in the 2018 HyVee Classic hosted by Missouri Western State University. UMD will play Emporia State University and the host Griffons starting Friday, March 16.