March 11, 2003

WACO, Texas - After hitting .471 with three home runs last week, Baylor's Kelly Osburn was named Big 12 Conference Softball Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday. Osburn joins Pitcher of the Week Lauren Bay from Oklahoma State as this week's conference honorees.

Osburn was named most outstanding player at last weekend's Malahini Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii. She finished the weekend with six runs, two doubles and a 1.118 slugging percentage. Osburn, who walked three times and is now just two walks shy of the single-season school record, hit safely in five of six games and had two multiple-hit contests.

With home runs against Hawaii, Boston College and Kent State, Osburn has homered in three consecutive games, joining Bri Chambliss (1997) as the only Lady Bears to ever accomplish the feat. Osburn leads the team with seven home runs, four shy of Chambliss' 1997 school record of 11.

Through the first 32 games of the 2003 season, Osburn has put together quite possibly the most impressive offensive season in Baylor history. She leads the Big 12 in batting (>493), hits (36), slugging percentage (.877), walks (29) and on base percentage (.638). Osburn also leads Baylor with 26 runs and is tied with Kim Wilmoth for the team lead in stolen bases with 13.

Osburn has hit safely in 29 of 31 games this season, including a 14-game hitting streak. She has hit safely in the last four games and 18 of the last 19. Osburn has reached base safely in all but one game this season, including each of the last 25 contests.

Wilmoth and Sarah Caudle also earned Malahini all-Tournament team honors last weekend. Wilmoth hit .444 with three RBI and has now hit safely in seven consecutive games. Caudle hit .350 with two doubles, one triple, three home runs, a tournament-best 10 RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage.