Northern Kentucky University junior outfielder Ashley Gates (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) has been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Player of the Week.

Gates is batting .500 through four games at the Rebel Spring Games, helping the Norse to a 3-1 mark in their first four games in Florida. She is 7-for-14 with six RBIs, five runs scored, two doubles, a triple and two home runs.

In NKU’ s 4-2 loss to Saginaw Valley on Saturday, Gates was 2-for-3 with a double. She returned against Edinboro later in the day to deliver a game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift the Norse to a 5-4 victory.

On Sunday, she opened the 8-0 win over Fayetteville State with a solo home run and capped the day by going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs, a double and triple in NKU’s 13-1 win over Wheeling Jesuit.

On the season, Gates is leading the Norse in batting average (.395), RBIs (7), home runs (2), doubles (4) and slugging percentage (.711).

NKU (5-7), which fell twice this morning at the Rebel Spring Games, will complete its trip with contests against California (Pa.), Ferris State, St. Cloud State and Northwood.

Other top performers in the GLVC last week included Bellarmine’s Jordan Basham, Drury’s Shawna Barrow, Lewis’ Jayme Hefler, Southern Indiana’s Brittany DeWeese and Wisconsin-Parkside’s Ashley Sullivan.