NORMAN -- Oklahoma freshman infielder Shay Knighten was named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in her career, the conference announced Tuesday.

Knighten was nearly impossible to get out last week, reaching base safely 11 times in 13 plate appearances on the weekend as No. 9/9 Oklahoma went 4-0, including a three-game sweep of Texas.

She was 7-9 at the plate with four walks, three runs scored, a double, home run, eight runs batted in and two stolen bases. Her batting average was .778, while she slugged 1.222 and posted an on base percentage of .846.

Knighten becomes the first position player to win a weekly award from the Big 12, while Paige Parker has been a three-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week this season. Knighten is also the first OU freshman to be Big 12 Player of the Week since Lauren Chamberlain on May 15, 2012.

In a 6-1 midweek win over North Texas, Knighten was 2-2 with a bases-loaded walk and a run scored.

She then had one of the best performances by any Sooner this season in the series opener against Texas. In a 9-8 win, Knighten was 3-3 with a double and home run, two runs scored, four RBI, a walk and two stolen bases. She tied a career high with her three hits and set a career high with her stolen bases.

Knighten hit an RBI single in the fourth and, tied 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth, she broke the tie with a three-run homer for her team-leading ninth of the year.
Knighten delivered again in game two of the series Friday, hitting a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning of a 5-3 victory. She ended the series with another walk and another RBI single as OU pushed its overall winning streak to nine games and its winning streak over Texas to seven, its longest streak ever in the series, with another 5-3 win.


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