The Southeastern Conference has named Georgia softball student-athletes Kendall Burton and Brittany Gray the SEC Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.
The pair led 25th-ranked Georgia to a 4-1 start in the 2018 campaign over the weekend in Arizona at the Kajikawa Classic. The Bulldogs defeated top-20 teams in #15 Utah and #19 BYU. Georgia outscored its opponents 51-12 in five games including 12 home runs and hitting .418 as a team.
At the plate, Burton hit .722 on the weekend with 13 hits including a pair of home runs. She touched home six-time and drove in five runs. Her home run against #3 Oregon was the first of her career in a Bulldog uniform. The senior outfielder from Missouri City, Texas had multiple hits in all five games. She began the season going 4-for-4, a career best, in the 23-2 win over San Diego State. She finished opening weekend with a .722 on-base clip and a 1.056 slugging percentage.
Led the team with a .722 batting average this weekend as @UGASoftball posted a 4-1 start, including two wins over top-20 teams.@KendallGBurton is the #SECSB POTW. pic.twitter.com/WYpGtkzmPx
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 12, 2018
Gray made three starts in the circle for Georgia on opening weekend. She pitched two scoreless, hitless innings in the opener against San Diego State. On Friday, she worked a complete game against #15 Utah, allowing one unearned run on five hits, striking out five and walking none. She capped the weekend with a complete-game shutout of Oregon State on Saturday. The Beavers only got four hits off the Greenwood, Indiana native while she struck out 10 in the process, one shy of tying a career high. She recorded a 0.00 ERA in 16 total innings with 17 total strikeouts.
Earned two complete-game wins over #15/16 Utah and Oregon State.
Brittany Gray is the #SECSB Pitcher of the Week. pic.twitter.com/f6fPXx6gYt
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 12, 2018
The SEC weekly honors are firsts for both Burton and Gray. The last time Georgia had both the player and pitcher of the week was May 4, 2009 when Taylor Schlopy (player) and Chelsea Hamilton (pitcher) both won.
Georgia opens its home schedule this weekend when the Bulldogs host the 11th Annual Red & Black Showcase. Evansville, Samford, and Winthrop will all be in Athens for the 10-game tournament, beginning Friday.