Tracy’s tremendous week triggers GNAC honor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, March 6, 2017 Tracy’s tremendous week triggers GNAC honor

Junior Heather Tracy goes 10-for-13 in a four-game series against WWU over the weekend, and earns GNAC Player of the Week recognition.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Making just three outs in 13 plate appearances in a four-game series over the weekend, Montana State University Billings junior right fielder Heather Tracy was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Player of the week announced the conference office Monday.

Tracy batted .769 (10-for-13) with a triple, three RBIs, and three runs scored in MSUB’s series split with Western Washington University. The Boise, Idaho native is batting .516 (33-for-64) through the first 17 games of the season.

“Heather works very hard and this is a well-deserved honor for her,” said MSUB head coach Jessica Rayman.

“Offensively, she is very consistent and I couldn’t ask for more from her. She is always striving to be better, which has

gotten her to where she is at as a player. Heather is a very smart hitter, and it is exciting to see all her hard work paying off.”

Tracy racked up a dozen total bases in the series, and posted a slugging percentage of .923. She also stole a base, moving her to No. 3 in MSUB history with 30 steals in her career. She made three catches defensively in right field, and the triple was the fifth of her career which ties her for No. 2 in MSUB history.

Perhaps most impressive, Tracy didn’t strike out a single time, and has done so just once in 66 at bats this season. Against WWU’s Anna Kasner, the newly-minted GNAC Pitcher of the Week, Tracy provided the lone hit to prevent a no-hitter on Saturday, and had 2 of 3 hits off the Vikings’ right-hander on Sunday. She was the only starter in MSUB’s lineup that didn’t strike out against Kasner, who had 23 Ks on the weekend.

Tracy’s big week helped MSUB start the conference season 2-2, and the team is 6-11 overall. She has a 17-game hitting streak spanning the length of the season intact, and has recorded multiple hits in nine games including a pair of four-hit performances.

This is the first-career GNAC weekly honor for Tracy, who is coming off a second-team all-region performance as a sophomore in 2016. It is the first weekly honor this year for the MSUB softball team, which resumes action Wednesday as it starts a four-game series at GNAC opponent Concordia.

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