Addison Barnard isn’t your typical sophomore outfielder. After another powerful weekend, Barnard broke WSU’s single season home run and RBI’s record, both previously held by her last season. 

Last week, Barnard was red-hot at the plate, hitting .667 (8-for-12) with a slugging percentage of 2.250. The Beatrice, Nebraska native hit six home runs to go with a double, stolen base, 10 runs and 15 RBI in four games. She hit at least one homer in all four games, including two-home run games against Kansas and Memphis. 

 “She’s just a great ballplayer,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “We can write every story in the world about her but the bottom line is, she shows up to play every day, she works hard, her preparation is there. The bottom line is if she’s getting pitches to hit, she’s going to continue breaking records.”

 Barnard’s rare combination of speed and power was on display throughout the weekend series against Memphis, even hitting an inside the park home run in the series finale. She is currently the nation’s leader in home runs, home runs per game, RBI, RBI per game and total bases. She ranks second in runs per game, just behind her teammate Sydney McKinney.

 On Sunday, Barnard stole her 25th base of the season as she moved closer to another milestone. She is just four home runs and five steals away from becoming the first player in NCAA history to ever record a 30-30 season.

“It’s awesome and the numbers are cool and stuff, but I’m just trying to get base hits and get runners in,” Barnard said. “You’ve just got to move on to the next game and do everything we can to win as a team.”

 With more attention given to Barnard in scouting reports following her breakout freshman campaign, she said it’s been more important to be patient and wait for her pitch this year. Barnard has consistently made solid contact this season, striking out in 27 of her 133 at-bats.

Barnard also leads WSU hitters in home runs (26), slugging percentage (1.038), RBI’s (67), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.527).

“I have to realize that I’m not going to get a lot of good pitches so it’s hard because sometimes I get anxious and I want to hit the ball,” Barnard said. “But I have to realize that this year is going to be more of a year that I have to be more selective because people know what I can hit and they’ve scouted me because I’m not a freshman anymore.”

Barnard and the Shockers take an eight game win streak to Greenville, North Carolina, this weekend to face the ECU Pirates, April 29-May 1. They’ll then wrap up the regular season with a home series against UCF the following weekend.