COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU sophomore Ianeta Le`i and San Diego State sophomore right-handed pitcher Celena Velasquez have been named Mountain West Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.
Le`i, an Oahu, Hawai`i, native, led the Cougars to a 4-1 record last week, batting .500 (9-for-18) from the plate, with 10 RBI, nine runs scored, three home runs, a double and a triple.
In the BYU doubleheader sweep of Utah Valley state, she went 3-for-6 from the plate, with an RBI and four runs scored. Le`i went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the Cougars 8-0 upset win against No. 23 Pacific, and concluded her weekend with a 5-for-9 performance in a series split with conference rival Utah. In BYU's 13-0 game two victory over the Utes, Le`i registered a 4-for-4, two home run, one triple, and three runs scored outing. She also knocked in seven RBI, which set a new BYU single-game record for the most RBI in a game. Seven RBI in a game also tied a two-year old MWC record for most RBI in a game. On the season, Le`i is batting .368, with six home runs, 10 doubles and a team-high 30 RBI.
Although she was named MWC All-Conference during her freshman campaign in 2003, this is the first MWC Player of the Week honor of her BYU career.