SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Whitney Hinton and the Bulldogs’ Emily Barnett have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played March 22-28, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Hinton hit .571 with four hits, all home runs, seven RBIs and six runs scored as Samford won two of three games in the weekend series against Mercer. The redshirt senior began the series by going 2-for-3, smacking two home runs, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three in the Bulldogs’ 10-0 six-inning win. Later that afternoon, the native of Theodore, Alabama, went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a 6-1 loss. Hinton capped off the series with a 1-for-2 outing at the plate on Sunday, hitting a grand slam to left center in the second inning, drawing a walk and scoring a pair of runs in a 6-4 win.
 
Barnett, a junior, went 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA on the week. The Suwanee, Georgia, native pitched a complete game, giving up no runs and just two hits while striking out six in the series-opening win. In Sunday’s series finale, Barnett tossed six innings and allowed a pair of runs on seven hits, adding three strikeouts in the win.
 
Samford (12-15, 2-1 SoCon) plays a doubleheader at Western Carolina (6-16, 1-1) on Friday, April 2, and concludes the three-game series with a single game on Saturday, April 3.
 
Others nominated for player of the week: Lilly Holston (ETSU), Danielle Castleberry (Mercer), Maycin Brown (UNCG) and Bailey Huneycutt (Western Carolina).
 
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Kelly Schmidt (ETSU), Amber Byrd (Mercer), Morgan Scott (UNCG), Hannah Wood (Chattanooga) and Jayme Eilers (Western Carolina).   
 
2021 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 15 – Bailey Huneycutt, SS, Jr., Western Carolina
Feb. 22 – Courtney Ball, 3B, Fr., Chattanooga
March 1 – Nikki Grupp, 3B, R-Sr., ETSU
March 8 – Jasmine Palmer, OF, R-Sr., UNCG
March 15 – Timberlyn Shurbutt, IF, Jr., Samford
March 22 – Maycin Brown, IF, So., UNCG
March 29 – Whitney Hinton, 2B, Sr., Samford
 
2021 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 15 – Jayme Eilers, So., Western Carolina
Feb. 22 – Abby Swaney, R-Fr., Samford
March 1 – Emily Barnett, Jr., Samford
March 8 – Morgan Scott, So., UNCG
March 15 – Kelly Schmidt, R-Sr., ETSU
March 22 – Kelly Schmidt, R-Sr., ETSU
March 29 – Emily Barnett, Jr., Samford