SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina junior Courtney Buchanan has been named General Shale Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for competition held March 23-29, the league office announced Wednesday.

Buchanan, a pitcher for the WCU softball squad, was a perfect 3-0 and tallied a save in six appearances for the Catamounts. The Nebo, N.C., native began the week by earning a win as WCU raced past Charlotte 10-1 in the second half of a doubleheader last Wednesday. Buchanan struck out seven batters and limited the 49ers to one earned run in five innings of action.

In WCU’s first conference series of the season, Buchanan earned her first save of the year by providing three innings of scoreless relief, including five Ks, to lead her team to a 14-7 win at ETSU. She then tossed a complete-game shutout later that day, fanning 10 Bucs batters en route to a 4-0 victory.

The right-hander wrapped up a busy seven-day stretch in a doubleheader Tuesday against Presbyterian. She picked up her ninth win of the season in game one, striking out a career-high 11 batters in five innings as the Catamounts edged the Blue Hose, 2-1. Buchanan gave her team 4 2/3 innings in the circle in the second contest of the day – a 7-3 WCU win – and struck out five, giving her a total of 41 strikeouts for the week.

Buchanan boasts a 3.55 grade point average and is majoring in biology.

Other nominees: Kyle Smith (The Citadel, baseball), Lyn Yee Choo (ETSU, women’s tennis), Parker Curry (Samford, baseball), Wes Gosselin (Chattanooga, men’s golf) and Andrew Novak (Wofford, men’s golf).

General Shale SoCon Student-Athletes of the Week (since January)

Jan. 6: Lucy Mason, UNCG, Women’s Basketball

Jan. 13: Haydn Borghetti-Metz, ETSU, Track and Field

Jan. 20: Chandler Christopher, ETSU, Women’s Basketball

Jan. 27: Taylor Reece, Samford, Women’s Basketball

Feb. 3: Lyn Yee Choo, ETSU, Women’s Tennis

Feb. 10: Ashley Kessler, ETSU, Track and Field

Feb. 17: Taylor Sigmon, Western Carolina, Softball

Feb. 24: Jose Hernandez, Mercer, Baseball

March 2: Allie Buchalski, Furman, Track and Field

March 9: Alicia Payne, Chattanooga, Women’s Basketball

March 16: Meghan Rud, Mercer, Softball

March 23: Bryan Sammons, Western Carolina, Baseball

March 30: Courtney Buchanan, Western Carolina, Softball

-www.SoConSports.com-