ROSEMONT, Ill. (April 15, 2019) – Freshman catcher Katie Wingert of Rutgers softball has been named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for the period ending April 14.
 
Wingert becomes the Scarlet Knights' first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Rebecca Hall on March 16, 2015 and Rutgers' first overall Big Ten weekly honoree since Stephanie Huang won Player of the Week on March 21, 2016.
 
Wingert hit three home runs and drove in six during a Big Ten series sweep of Penn State, Rutgers' first conference sweep since April 22-24, 2016 and third overall since joining the conference in 2015. She had a pair of go-ahead home runs during the series sweep, a two-run shot in the 6-1 Game 1 victory and a solo bomb late in the 5-3 Game 3 win – which was also her second homer of the game.
 
In Game 2 of the Penn State sweep, Wingert caught all seven innings of fellow freshman Corah Price's one-hit shutout in Game 2 on Saturday, which was Rutgers' first seven-inning one-hitter since 2014.
 
The rookie played perfect defense with no errors in 12 chances, with no passed balls.
 
On the season, Wingert is batting .307 with a 1.079 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages). She leads the team and ranks second in the Big Ten with 13 home runs, while driving in a team-best 37 RBIs this season. With 12 games remaining on the regular season schedule, Wingert is already tied for second all-time at Rutgers for home runs in a season, chasing Jackie Bates' 22 from 2015. She also is tied for ninth all-time with her 37 RBIs in a single season.
 
Wingert and the Scarlet Knights return home for a Big Ten set with Iowa on April 19-21 at the RU Softball Complex.
 
 
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