BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for baseball, softball, and tennis on Monday. Student-athletes from Bethel, Carleton, Saint Benedict, Saint Mary's, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the spring season, team sports (baseball, softball, and tennis) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (golf and indoor track & field) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
To view each sport's 2023-24 Athlete of the Week home page, navigate to the 2023-24 Athlete of the Week archive for complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Baseball Player of the Week
Cameron Weber
Saint Mary's University
Sr. | Shortstop
Holmen, Wis.
Cameron Weber hit a team-leading .471 (8-for-17) in leading the Cardinals to a 3-1 record in conference play last week. Weber tallied a double, eight runs scored, six RBI, and a .529 slugging percentage. The speedster also finished 9-for-10 in stolen bases, including a single-game record four in game one against Carleton on 4/5. He added three more in game two against the Knights.
MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Kevin Steel
St. Olaf College
So. | Right-handed Pitcher
San Diego, Calif. | La Jolla
Kevin Steel threw 8.0 shutout innings for the Oles in a 4-0 win in game two of its sweep of Concordia on 4/2. The sophomore allowed just four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in the longest start of his collegiate career. The performance marked the first time in nearly two years that an Ole had thrown 8.0 scoreless innings in a game, as Steel improved to 4-0 on the season.
MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Olivia Tautges
College of Saint Benedict
So. | Outfield
Brainerd, Minn.
Olivia Tautges hit .600 (12-for-20) last week with three home runs and 12 RBI in helping CSB record six straight wins and extend its winning streak to seven games. In an 8-3 win over St. Olaf on 4/3, Tautges tied a career-high with four hits and had three RBI. She then belted a three-run home run in a 10-2 game-one win over UW-Stout on 4/4 and followed up with the game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth inning in game two. Tautges is on a seven-game hitting streak with four multi-hit and four multi-RBI games.
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kayla Simacek
Bethel University
Sr. | Pitcher
Hastings, Minn.
Kayla Simacek went 4-0 in the circle for the Royals with four complete game efforts last week. She struck out 20 in 28.0 innings of work while giving up seven earned runs and walking one batter. Simacek picked up both wins against Hamline on 4/4, giving up six combined runs and striking out nine. In game one against Carleton on 4/6, she picked up the shutout surrendering no walks with six hits and striking out eight. She got the win in game two, giving up one run on seven hits with three Ks. Simacek has now won her last 32 starts against MIAC opponents, including postseason games.
MIAC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week
Baiyun Jing
Carleton College
Fy.
Nanning, China | McCalie
Baiyun Jing contributed wins in both singles and doubles as the Knights took part in a tight battle with host Luther on 4/6. The non-conference clash saw 7-of-9 matches require some sort of tiebreaker. Jing was part of an 8-7 (7-5) win in doubles before collecting a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 win at No. 2 singles.
MIAC Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week
Amelia Asfaw
Carleton College
Jr.
Seattle, Wash. | Seattle Prep
Amelia Asfaw picked up victories atop both the singles and doubles lineup as the nationally-ranked Knights bested previously unbeaten and nationally-ranked Bethel by a 9-0 tally on 4/6. Asfaw was part of an 8-4 triumph at No. 1 doubles before winning, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 1 singles in a battle of regionally-ranked players.