Ama Biney of Worcester, Mass., Earns Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week Honors (Mar. 16)

2016 Apr 5

WPI's Ama Biney and Texas-Tyler's Alaina Kissinger have been selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

Biney, a sophomore center fielder from Worcester, Mass., batted .645 (20-for-31) with 16 runs, four doubles, two triples, two homers and seven RBI in an 8-2 start for the Engineers. The Holy Name High graduate drew four walks and struck out only twice, while collecting nine stolen bases.

She was also flawless in the field, successfully handling all 16 of her chances, including throwing a runner out at home plate to keep a game against St. Joseph's (Maine) tied in the sixth. She actually met the team at the airport to depart for their spring trip after playing for the Engineers' women's basketball team in the NCAA tournament that same day.

Meanwhile, junior right-hander Kissinger joins her Patriot teammate Kelsie Batten as a Pitcher of the Week honoree following an All-Tournament team performance at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic over the weekend. The Sam Rayburn High product went 3-0 with eight hits allowed and 14 strikeouts over her 17 innings, as top-ranked Texas-Tyler (17-2) went 6-0 against an elite 24-team tournament field to capture the gold bracket title.

Kissinger fanned six in a win over Illinois Wesleyan, four more against Oneonta and tossed a five-hit shutout (five strikeouts) against Trine in the championship game. Neither she nor teammates Batten and Jaiden Rawls allowed a run in 38 innings at the event.

The Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player and Pitcher of the Week are selected by Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 45 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.