BOSTON – After batting a stellar .769 and leading the Boston University softball team to a four-game run-rule sweep over Lafayette, sophomore Caitlin Coker has garnered Louisville Slugger/Wilson NFCA Player of the Week accolades, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Tuesday afternoon. The Downingtown, Pennsylvania, native was also honored by the Patriot League for the second time this season for her performance.

Receiving votes in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA Top 25 polls, the Terriers currently sit at 32-2 and will be hosting their third straight Patriot League tournament next week as regular season champions. Coker has provided the offensive spark as the lead-off batter this season and went into hyperdrive against the Leopards, batting 10-for-13 with 13 runs scored, six stolen bases, three doubles, three RBIs and a triple. 

In the opener, the third baseman started a perfect 3-for-3 with two steals, three runs and a double. After scoring three runs in games two and three, she wrapped up the series batting a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a career-tying three RBIs and program record-tying four runs scored. Her efforts helped BU outscore Lafayette, 46-2. 

With the NFCA's announcement, Coker becomes the first Terrier to earn a weekly award from the organization since pitcher Melanie Russell ('16) was honored in 2016. BU Hall of Famer and three-time All-American April Setterlund ('11) claimed National Player of the Week honors in 2010.

At the conference level, Coker becomes the third Terrier to earn a second PL Player of the Week award this season, joining senior Jen Horita and junior Nicole Amodio. This is the first time that BU has had three offensive players earn multiple weekly awards from a conference with Christy Leath ('08), Chiya Louie ('07) and Brandi Shields ('07) the last to accomplish the feat in 2007. In total, head coach Ashley Waters and the Terriers have now claimed 14 combined weekly honors in 2021. 

BU is next scheduled to host the PL tournament on May 13-15. The other three participants have yet to be determined.