Carbondale Reporter

Jackie Lis and Emily Williams from Southern Illinois University's softball team have been recognized with weekly honors by the Missouri Valley Conference. The league announced on Tuesday that Lis was named Player of the Week, while Williams received the Newcomer of the Week award. These are the first weekly awards for the Salukis this season.

Lis demonstrated strong performance in four games held in Starkville, Mississippi, achieving a batting average of .462. Her on-base percentage was .563, and her slugging percentage reached 1.000. The shortstop hit two home runs, had four RBIs, scored four runs, made six hits, and walked three times. On February 13 against No. 19 Mississippi State, Lis went 2-for-3 with one run scored and one walk.

Both home runs by Lis occurred during a game against Georgia Tech on February 14. This marks her second two-home run game of the season; she previously achieved this feat against Appalachian State on February 9.

Williams was honored as Newcomer of the Week after recording a batting average of .286, an on-base percentage of .375, and a slugging percentage of .714. A transfer from Morehead State, she hit one home run with two RBIs, had two hits, and walked once in Mississippi.

The sophomore's first home run as a Saluki happened on February 14 against Georgia Tech. In her freshman year at Morehead State in 2023, Williams led her team with 11 home runs.

The next event for Lis, Williams, and their team is a trip to San Marcos, Texas for the San Marcos Classic. They will face Kansas, Texas State, and Creighton starting Friday, February 21 at 1:15 p.m., when they play against Kansas.

Missouri Valley Conference Weekly Award Winners include Jackie Lis as Player of the Week from Southern Illinois; Hannah Meshnick as Pitcher of the Week from Illinois State; Rylee Spindler as Freshman of the Week from Belmont; and Emily Williams as Newcomer of the Week from Southern Illinois.

For updates on Southern Illinois University's softball team news and information follow them on Twitter @SIU_Softball or Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball or Instagram @SIU_Softball. Fans can also download their mobile app available in App Store or Google Play Store.