Culver City, Calif. - Caleigh Wallace has picked up a couple of nice honors after permanently cementing her name into Northeast Mississippi Community College's softball record book.
Wallace was selected as the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Player of the Week for the third time during her inaugural season with the Tigers.
In addition, Fastpitch News has recognized Wallace as its Co-National Player of the Week for all divisions of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) alongside Monique Ashley of Seward County (Kan.) Community College.
"It's pretty exciting," said Wallace. "God works in mysterious ways. I cling to Him and He's brought me this far so I owe my success to Him. My teammates really uplift me as well so I appreciate them."
Wallace set a new school record for most home runs in a single season after crushing her 13th of the year during Northeast's game one victory at Coahoma Community College.
She eclipsed the 13-year-old record of 12 homers set by Amber Hass during the 2005 campaign. Wallace's home run total currently leads the MACJC and is second most in the country behind only Louisiana State University at Eunice's Madison Monson, who sits at 16 dingers.
"It leaves me kinda speechless," Wallace said. "I've been very blessed. It means a lot to break the record. It's a really big honor. I've been working pretty hard on not pulling my head and taking my hands to the ball."
The Rogers (Ala.) High School graduate batted .545 for the week with 12 hits, three home runs, two doubles, 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored. She also compiled a .600 on-base percentage thanks in part to three walks and stole four bases.
She opened her week with a pair of multiple hit performances as the Tigers split with then-No. 17 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Wallace got Northeast on the scoreboard in the opener with her 11th homer of the year.
Wallace helped the Tigers win the nightcap by giving them an early 1-0 advantage with a solo shot over the left field wall. She had a RBI double two frames later that allowed Northeast to take a 12-2 lead over the Bulldogs at that time.
She was a catalyst for the Tigers in their midweek matchup at Coahoma. Wallace amassed five hits as part of a Northeast team that compiled 31 base knocks in that doubleheader and outscored the homestanding Tigers by a combined total of 32-1.
Wallace added a single following her record-breaking shot in the initial game. She had three hits in the finale in four plate appearances with three RBIs and a pair of stolen bases as well.
The Killen, Ala., native rounded out the week by guiding the Tigers to a marquee sweep of then-No. 8 East Central Community College. She had a complete game effort in the circle to earn the win in the first matchup with two singles offensively.
Wallace then delivered what proved to be the winning run with a double down the left field line that plated Rebecca Sheffield in the seventh inning of the second contest. That spearheaded a decisive six-run frame for Northeast.
"One thing I'm going preach from day one is great things happen to good people," Tigers head coach Jody Long said. "Caleigh is that kid that does everything that she needs to do off and on the field and success follows her.
"She's really stayed humble and her whole thing is being successful. It hasn't made her press anymore. It hasn't made her swing for the fence anymore. Even when she's not hitting them over the fence, she has been an offensive productor for us."
Wallace is second on the team with a .369 cumulative batting average this year. She has 23 extra base hits, 38 base knocks overall and tops Northeast with 38 runs scored and 40 RBIs.
Her pitching numbers are equally as good. Wallace is 5-2 on the season in 64.2 innings of action with a 3.36 earned run average (ERA) and is third in the NJCAA with five saves to her credit.
Wallace previously won MACJC Player of the Week after hitting two home runs in one game against Des Moines Area (Iowa) Community College during spring break and by executing that same feat in a victory over Calhoun (Ala.) Community College in the Rush Invitational.