Feb. 15, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore Brittany Cervantes was tabbed the Southeastern Conference’s Player of the Week following her performance in leading Kentucky to a 3-2 week at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., this weekend.

Cervantes paced the squad with a .429 batting average on 6-of-13 from the plate while bringing in six runs. The sophomore from California belted three home runs on the weekend, which is tops in the league. Her performance includes a two home run game against Western Michigan. She became the first UK player since Brooke Marnitz in 2006 to smack a pair of long balls in a single outing.

The sophomore who split time at catcher and at third base this weekend also had the first home run of the season for Kentucky in their upset of No. 5 Arizona State to begin the season. She also notched the only extra base hit against No. 11 California with her first double of the year. For the week, she charted a 1.143 slugging percentage and had 16 total bases while recording 10 putouts and three assists in the five games.

This marks the first weekly honors of the season for the SEC. Cervantes’ weekly award is the first of her career, and she is the first UK player to take home weekly honors since Molly Johnson was named the Player of the Week in 2009.

Kentucky will next be in action in Boca Raton, Fla., for the Florida Atlantic tournament next weekend. UK will face Maryland at 4 p.m. ET before facing the host Owls at 6 p.m.