University of Kentucky freshman Jessica Trueblood has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office in Birmingham, Ala., announced today.

This is the second conference honor for Trueblood this season. She was previously named the top freshman on Feb. 13 when she led the Wildcats to a win over No. 13 Washington.

?I am so excited for Jessica and this team to get right back on track,? said second-year head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?The SEC is just brutal this year and we got through a rough stretch without crumbling. Certainly, there was some frustration and even some doubt, but to come out the way we did this past weekend makes that all go away.?

Trueblood went 2-0 with a save this week as the Wildcats won four straight games over Ohio and Western Kentucky. The Salem, Ore., native walked just one batter in three outings and struck out 10 batters in 15 innings of work. Trueblood posted a 0.47 ERA and allowed just one run on eight hits during the three-games, while holding opponents to a .154 average. She tossed two straight complete games.

In the shutout win over Ohio, she struck out five and walked one and followed that outing with a complete-game win over WKU. She allowed one run on five hits, struck out four and did not give up a walk in that victory. Trueblood earned her team-leading third save of the season when she tossed a perfect seventh inning in the Cats? 5-4 win over WKU.

Trueblood is now 7-11 on the year with a team-best 3.34 ERA. She has 80 strikeouts and leads the team with 104.2 innings pitched. She has nine complete games and two shutouts this season.

Trueblood and the Wildcats return to action on Wednesday, Apr. 12, as they travel to Indiana for a doubleheader. UK returns to SEC play this weekend, Apr. 14-15, as they host Arkansas for a three-game series.