NEW ORLEANS – James Madison junior shortstop Kendra Lewis and Texas State senior right-handed pitcher Emma Strood received the Sun Belt Conference’s weekly softball awards after leading their teams to series sweeps during the season’s fifth week of league competition.
Lewis is James Madison’s first Sun Belt Player of the Week since current teammate Cali Legzdin on April 29, 2025, while Strood garners her second Pitcher of the Week accolade this season after being recognized on March 10. Texas State has received the conference’s top weekly pitching honor in five of 10 weeks in 2026.
Player of the Week
Kendra Lewis, James Madison
[Jr. | SS | Ankeny, Iowa]
Lewis went 5-for-7 (.714) at the plate with two home runs, a 1.714 OPS, six RBIs and five runs scored in James Madison’s series sweep over Louisiana. The shortstop started the series going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run and two RBIs in a 6-2 victory over the Ragin’ Cajuns. She added an RBI single in the 10-2 game two victory before going 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run and three RBIs in the Dukes’ 15-9 win to complete the sweep.
Pitcher of the Week
Emma Strood, Texas State
[Sr. | RHP | League City, Texas]
Strood spun tossed 17 scoreless innings, including two complete game shutouts and recorded two wins and one save in the Bobcats’ 4-0 week with wins over UTSA and a series sweep at Troy. She allowed just nine hits and two walks, struck out 20 batters and did not allow a single extra base hit across her three appearances. The right-hander started the week with a complete-game, three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a 3-0 home win over UTSA. She nearly replicated her line in game two of the series at Troy with a four-hit shutout with a pair of walks and eight more punchouts. Strood closed the weekend with three more scoreless frames, allowing two hits and striking out four for a save in Texas State’s 2-1 victory over the Trojans on Sunday.
2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Players of the Week
Week 1 – Chloe Hatcher, DP, Georgia State
Week 2 – Brie Normandin, SS, Coastal Carolina
Week 3 – Makaley Boswell, UTIL, Troy
Week 4 – Kayla Christensen, INF, Georgia Southern
Week 5 – Taylor Schafer, INF, App State
Week 6 – Kara Wine, C, South Alabama
Week 7 – Hannah Christian, OF, Southern Miss
Week 8 – Kiley Huffman, OF, Troy
Week 9 – Tia Titi, C/UT, Marshall
Week 10 – Kendra Lewis, SS, James Madison
2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Pitchers of the Week
Week 1 – Ryley Harrison, RHP, South Alabama
Week 2 – Maddy Azua, LHP, Texas State
Week 3 – Bethaney Noble, RHP, Louisiana
Week 4 – Makayla Stephens, RHP, Georgia State
Week 5 – Emma Strood, RHP, Texas State
Week 6 – Maddy Azua, LHP, Texas State
Week 7 – Sage Hoover, RHP, Louisiana
Week 8 – Ryley Harrison, RHP, South Alabama
Week 9 – Maddy Azua, LHP, Texas State
Week 10 – Emma Strood, RHP, Texas State