COLUMBIA, Mo. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference announced the recipients of the weekly conference honors. Mizzou shortstop Jenna Laird was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.
The Long Island-native is batting .439 on the year to lead all SEC freshmen. In SEC play, she has even increased her batting average by hitting .471 over the span of nine games.
Starting all 35 games at shortstop, Laird has impressed with the glove, as well as the bat. On the weekend, she and Kendyll Bailey turned two double plays, leading the Tigers to a perfect fielding percentage, across the board.
Laird got the week started with a productive performance in a midweek contest with Saint Louis. She went 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk, a double, two runs scored, a career-high two stolen bases, and one run driven in.
Two days later, in the opener against South Carolina, Jenna Laird set a new career high with four hits while also tying a career-high with three runs scored. The Tigers were trailing 4-0 heading into the top of the third inning and Mizzou had failed to record a hit to that point. With one out, Jenna Laird ripped a ball to the left-center gap and off the wall for a double, just inches away from a home run. Her double spurred the Tigers to a five-run inning. Her two-run single in the top of the sixth inning put Mizzou up by nine runs and in position to secure the run-rule victory.
Overall, the freshman batted .667 on the week with three doubles, three stolen bases, four runs batted in, seven runs scored and three walks.
