March 10, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Florida State's Tiffany McDonald has been chosen as the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week, while the Seminoles' Brittany Osmon and Maryland's Sarde Stewart are the ACC's Co-Players of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, March 9. McDonald and Osmon led Florida State to a perfect 4-0 week with their play, while the Terrapins' Stewart helped Maryland extend its winning streak to 15.

In two appearances a week ago, Florida State's McDonald led the Seminoles to wins over Connecticut and Georgia State. Against the Huskies on Saturday, the senior Belfair, Wash., native gave up just three hits in seven full innings, as the `Noles prevailed, 7-0. On Sunday, in the first of two games against Georgia State, McDonald again pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and zero walks, while striking out 12 batters in the 1-0 victory. In 14 innings on the mound last week, she struck out 23 batters with no walks, registering her third and fourth shut outs of the season. She is now 4-1 in 2008, with a team-leading 1.09 ERA.

Osmon, who starts at first-base for the `Noles, was her team's most-consistent offensive weapon in wins against Connecticut, Appalachian State, and Georgia State last week. The San Diego, Calif., senior hit safely in every game, including against Appalachian State, and the second of two against Georgia State on Sunday, in which she combined for five hits. Against GSU, Osmon was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs as Florida State clinched the FSU Invitational crown with a 3-0 win. In the four games, Osmon went 7-for-10, boosting her average to .382 for the season.

The Terps' Stewart went 8-for-16 in five games last week, also recording at least one hit in every game, as Maryland improved its record to 18-1. A starter at first-base, she recorded two hits and two RBIs against James Madison in her first game of the week, then registered one hit in successive games against JMU, Seton Hall, and Columbia, before exploding to lead the Terps to a 13-12 win over Fordham on Sunday. In that game, the Fontana, Calif., senior went 3-for-4 at the plate, blasting two home runs, and hitting the game-winning walk-off single to give Maryland its 15th win in a row. In her five games during the week, Stewart recorded nine RBIs and scored five runs to lead a powerful Terps offense.

The Terps host a double-header this Wednesday against Pittsburgh, before the Maryland Spring Break Classic in College Park, Md., this weekend. McDonald and the Seminoles take on Connecticut in a home double-header Tuesday afternoon, before traveling to Charlottesville, Va., this weekend to take on the Virginia Cavaliers.