NORFOLK, Va. – Freshman catcher Kathy Cortez of the Norfolk State softball team was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week on Wednesday, as announced by the conference office in the first weekly awards of the 2011 season.

Cortez batted .421 in six games last week, tallying eight hits in 19 at bats for the Spartans. She scored a pair of runs and added two RBI. The Pomona, Calif., native had two hits and an RBI while hitting leadoff in a 4-1 win over UMES on Sunday in the Spartan Classic.

NSU's everyday catcher – she has caught every inning in 16 games this year – also had a flawless week in the field, recording eight assists without committing an error.

For the season, Cortez ranks third on the team with a .340 batting average with eight runs and five RBI while starting every game. She has also added four sacrifice hits, while on defense she is fielding .988 on the season with just one error and 15 assists.

Cortez and her Spartan teammates will return to the field on March 24 with a doubleheader against Hampton at the NSU Softball Field at 5 p.m.