OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The Amateur Softball Association announced today the selection of Northwestern freshman pitcher Courtnay Foster as USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week for the week of April 21-27.

The freshman from Tucson, Ariz. fanned the first 10 batters she faced in her one-hit, 18 strikeout performance in the 1-0 Wildcat win against Loyola-Chicago. She totaled 18 strikeouts in the contest, the most strikeouts by a Northwestern pitcher in a game since 1987.

Foster followed the effort with two-hit and three-hit shutouts against Big Ten Conference leader No. 24 Iowa. The Wildcats decided game one with a 3-0 win as Foster limited the Big Ten's second-ranked offense to just two hits while striking out 12. In the next game, it was Foster again in the circle allowing just three hits and posting 11 strikeouts in the 2-0 Northwestern victory.

"Courtnay threw three great games last week," Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan said. "She was able to dominate Iowa two straight games because of her terrific command of pitches. She showed a lot of heart and character and we are extremely excited for her to receive this honor."

In 21 innings of work, Foster struck out 41 batters and allowed only six hits for the week. Overall, she is averaging 9.68 strikeouts per seven innings ranking in the top 12 nationally. She has not allowed an earned run in the last 31.2 innings, holds a 14-8 record with a 1.44 season ERA.

With the wins, Northwestern advances to 30-15 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten. Up next the Wildcats will host No.6 DePaul in a doubleheader before closing the Big Ten season at home against the University of Illinois.

The USA Softball National Player of the Week is designed to acknowledge outstanding athletic achievement by individuals on a weekly basis. Each recipient of the USA Softball National Player of the Week Award will receive an engraved plaque and will be national recognized for their accomplishments. A complete list of winners can be found on the USA Softball web site at www.usasoftball.com.

The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of amateur softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. As the National Governing Body, the ASA is responsible for identifying, selecting and training male and female athletes to compete in World, Pan American and Olympic competitions. It is also responsible for promoting and growing the sport of softball across the country.