Hefel slugs her way to Heart Player of the Week honor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Coming off of a week where the Clarke University softball team went 5-1 in their six games played, sophomore right fielder Lauren Hefel received some individual recognition by earning the Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Week, conference officials announced on Monday afternoon.

In two games apiece against Hannibal-LaGrange University, Baker University, and Benedictine College, the Asbury, Iowa native hit for a .429 batting average, with a .478 on base percentage, and slugged .762 including hitting a double over the first four games of the week along with driving in eight runs in total and scoring four times.

Along with her four doubles on the week, Hefel also hit her third home run of the season in a pivotal moment of game one against Baker on Saturday, Mar. 28 when she stepped up to the plate with two outs and nobody on in the sixth inning of a 6-6 tie when she cracked a long ball over the left center field fence to give the Pride a 7-6 lead that they would eventually win by.

This is the first weekly honor in Hefel's still young career as the 2025 All-Heart First Team selection is currently leading the Clarke softball team in on base percentage and slugging percentage amongst qualified hitters as she's slashing .353/.442/.539 with 36 hits, 10 doubles, and three home runs, both team-highs in 120 plate appearances, also with team-highs in RBIs at 25, walks at 14, along with scoring 16 runs and stealing five bases in five attempts through 34 games this season.

Pride softball is currently holding an 18-16 overall record with a 7-5 mark in the Heart to sit in a tie for fifth place in the conference standings as they next four games will come on the road, first a Friday, Apr. 3 doubleheader against Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo. before heading over to Marshall, Mo. to face Missouri Valley College on Saturday, Apr. 4.