Delce Tabbed Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Adding to her list of honors following a sensational weekend in the circle at the Razorback Invitational, redshirt senior RHP Chenise Delce has been named Wilson/NFCA’s National Pitcher of the Week for the second time in her career.

The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year went 4-0 with two wins against No. 13/19 Arizona. Acquiring a .076 ERA, Delce (7-1) surrendered just two runs across 18.1 innings pitched and also checked opponents to a .127 batting average with 25 strikeouts.

Delce is 7-1 on the season with four wins against opponents currently ranked inside ESPN.com/USA Softball’s Top 25 (Arizona twice, Baylor and Louisiana).

In the Razorback Invitational’s opening contest against Arizona Thursday night, Delce tossed a complete game and recorded a season high 12 strikeouts en route to her first win of the tournament. Delce held the ‘Cats hitless through the game’s first five innings and kept Arizona scoreless until the top of the seventh.

Delce was electrifying Friday, earning both wins against Drake and Arizona. In 3.0 innings in the 4-3 (11) win over Drake, Delce did not allow a single run or hit and retired seven of eight batters faced with two strikeouts. Entering the game in the ninth, Delce proved how clutch she was yet again in an international tiebreaker, working around a runner at third in each of the game’s final three innings to secure the win.

Savvy in the circle in Friday night’s 2-1 triumph over Arizona, Delce spun the game’s final 3.1 innings and contained Arizona to no runs on two hits with five strikeouts. With a runner in scoring position in each of the game’s last three innings, Delce worked her magic to refrain Arizona from scoring. With two down and a runner at third in the top of the seventh, Delce swiftly dealt her final strikeout of the night to capture the victory.

Delce tossed a two-hit shutout against Drake in the weekend’s culminating matchup Sunday to pick up her seventh win of the season. Delce did not allow a run on two hits (zero extra-base hits) and clocked six strikeouts. She also worked around runners in scoring position in the first and third frames.

The right-hander received her third career SEC Pitcher of the Week acclaim Monday afternoon. She was last recognized as Wilson/NFCA’s National Pitcher of the Week on April 26, 2022.

Up Next

Delce and the Razorbacks host the Wooo Pig Classic on March 2-5 at Bogle Park, welcoming Iowa State, North Texas and Texas A&M-CC. Arkansas opens against Iowa State at 4 p.m. Thursday on SEC Network+. For more schedule updates, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.