JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On the strength of a week that saw her hit .556 and drive in 13 runs to help lead the University of North Florida softball team to a 6-0 record, Lady Osprey second baseman Gwen Williams was named the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week.

Williams went 10-for-18 at the plate last week in doubleheader sweeps of Jackson State, Belmont and Rider. Six of her hits were for extra bases, giving her a 1.111 slugging percentage on the week. Included in that were three-straight doubles against Rider as well as a pair of home runs.

“Gwen has settled down at the plate and is starting to swing the bat like she did last year,” UNF head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. “We are seeing more consistency from her and more pop as well.”

Williams showed off that pop with a grand slam against Belmont last Thursday before ending Saturday’s doubleheader against Rider with a walk-off three-run home run that gave UNF an 8-6 win. Williams is now tied for fourth in the A-Sun with nine home runs and currently has 23 career home runs at UNF, which is one ahead of teammate Ashley Parenteau in the career home run race at UNF.

Williams – the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year – brought her average up 54 points last week and is now second on the team with a .327 batting average, while leading the Lady Ospreys in home runs (9), RBIs (34) and slugging percentage. She is one home run away from tying her career-high of 10 home runs and is three home runs away from tying the UNF single-season home run record.

Her 13 RBIs last week continued to add to her career lead in that category. Going into Monday’s doubleheader against Canisius, Williams has 125 RBIs in her career, which eclipses the mark of 109 set by former UNF second baseman Kelli Lee.

The player of the week award is the third for Williams in her career and the first weekly honor for a Lady Osprey this season. 

The Lady Ospreys will take on Canisius Monday before traveling to Florida A&M on Wednesday. Conference play picks up again at the end of the week when UNF travels to East Tennessee State on Friday before capping the week with a doubleheader at Kennesaw State on Sunday.