By MATT PIKE
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its Softball Athlete of the Week honors for the final week of the 2026 regular season, naming Missouri Western's Ashlyn Finarty Hitter of the Week.
Finarty earned the honor for the first time this season. She became the second Griffon to earn a weekly softball honor this year, joining Kalee Higdon, who was recognized back in week three of the season.
Finarty turned in a strong four-game stretch to help lead MoWest Softball into the MIAA Tournament. Against Pittsburg State, in game one of the doubleheader, she went 3-for-4 with an RBI. She followed that performance with a standout performance the second game of the doubleheader, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored, six RBIs, and two home runs, including a grand slam.
At Northwest Missouri State to close out the regular season, Finarty added a hit in game one of the series, going 1-for-3, before closing the week 1-for-4 with two RBIs in game two.
For the week, Finarty hit .500, going 7-for-14 at the plate, with nine RBIs and two home runs, posting a .929 slugging percentage while helping the Griffons earn four wins and secure a spot in the MIAA Tournament.
Finarty will help lead MoWest Softball as the Griffons open play in the MIAA Tournament on Wednesday taking on No. 8 seed Washburn, after earning the No.9 seed, at 3 p.m. in Emporia, Kansas.
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