Softball’s Vandewater and Gilman Take Home BIG EAST Weekly Honors
4/20/2026 2:00:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. – Sophomore Tara Vandewater was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week and Audrey Gilman brough home BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Monday following Creighton Softball's series sweep at preseason favorite St. John's this past weekend.
This marks the first BIG EAST weekly honor of Vandewater's career as she joins Lily West (March 9) as the only two Bluejays to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week honors this season. In addition, Gilman is claiming her first BIG EAST weekly honor and is the third different Bluejay (Keegan Mayhue – March 2 & April 13); Zoey Greenwood (March 9, March 23) to receive BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades this season.
Vandewater was sensational in the series sweep of St. John's, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles, two home runs (one grand slam), a BIG EAST-best 10 RBI and five runs scored, while posting an impressive 1.273 slugging percentage.
The sophomore standout opened the weekend by driving in the game-winning run with an RBI double in the Bluejays' 2-0 series opening win on Friday. The Winterset, Iowa native then nearly became the first Bluejay to hit for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a single, double and grand slam, while driving in a career-high six runs and scoring two of her own in CU's 11-6 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. She followed it up with another 2-for-3 showing in the series finale, recording a single and a three-run home runs to guide the Jays to an 13-6 series finale win and a series sweep of St. John's.
This season, Vandewater has started all 47 games for the Bluejays and currently leads the team in batting average (.387), hits (53), triples (4), RBI (52) and slugging percentage (.715). Her 52 RBI this season are the third-most in a single season in program history and just eight shy of the school record of 60 RBI set last year by Sydney Potter.
Gilman, meanwhile, was dominant in the circle, posting a 2-0 record with a 3.00 ERA and eight punchouts in 14.0 innings of work while guiding Creighton to its first series sweep of St. John's since joining the BIG EAST in 2014.
The Kampsville, Ill. native was nearly flawless, striking out three and recording her second shutout of the season as Creighton blanked St. John's 2-0 in the season opener on Friday afternoon. Gilman then recorded her 13th win of the season, striking out five in her second complete-game effort of the weekend as Creighton completed its series sweep with a 13-6 victory in the series finale on Saturday.
With her two wins, Gilman improved to 8-0 in BIG EAST play with a 4.06 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 62.0 innings of work. Overall, the freshman right-hander has posted a 13-8 record this season with a 4.38 ERA and a team-best 74 strikeouts in 144.0 innings pitched.
Vandewater, Gilman and the rest of the Creighton softball team will look to continue their pursuit for a BIG EAST Regular Season title when they take on UConn in a three-game series this weekend in Storrs, Conn.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Tara Vandewater, So., INF, Creighton
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Addy Frye, Fr., P, Providence
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Audrey Gilman, Fr., P, Creighton
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Olivia Robards, Butler
Kaitlyn Kibling, UConn
Kelly Greene, DePaul
Emily Jonte, Providence
Natasha Limbani, St. John's
This marks the first BIG EAST weekly honor of Vandewater's career as she joins Lily West (March 9) as the only two Bluejays to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week honors this season. In addition, Gilman is claiming her first BIG EAST weekly honor and is the third different Bluejay (Keegan Mayhue – March 2 & April 13); Zoey Greenwood (March 9, March 23) to receive BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades this season.
Vandewater was sensational in the series sweep of St. John's, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles, two home runs (one grand slam), a BIG EAST-best 10 RBI and five runs scored, while posting an impressive 1.273 slugging percentage.
The sophomore standout opened the weekend by driving in the game-winning run with an RBI double in the Bluejays' 2-0 series opening win on Friday. The Winterset, Iowa native then nearly became the first Bluejay to hit for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a single, double and grand slam, while driving in a career-high six runs and scoring two of her own in CU's 11-6 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. She followed it up with another 2-for-3 showing in the series finale, recording a single and a three-run home runs to guide the Jays to an 13-6 series finale win and a series sweep of St. John's.
This season, Vandewater has started all 47 games for the Bluejays and currently leads the team in batting average (.387), hits (53), triples (4), RBI (52) and slugging percentage (.715). Her 52 RBI this season are the third-most in a single season in program history and just eight shy of the school record of 60 RBI set last year by Sydney Potter.
Gilman, meanwhile, was dominant in the circle, posting a 2-0 record with a 3.00 ERA and eight punchouts in 14.0 innings of work while guiding Creighton to its first series sweep of St. John's since joining the BIG EAST in 2014.
The Kampsville, Ill. native was nearly flawless, striking out three and recording her second shutout of the season as Creighton blanked St. John's 2-0 in the season opener on Friday afternoon. Gilman then recorded her 13th win of the season, striking out five in her second complete-game effort of the weekend as Creighton completed its series sweep with a 13-6 victory in the series finale on Saturday.
With her two wins, Gilman improved to 8-0 in BIG EAST play with a 4.06 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 62.0 innings of work. Overall, the freshman right-hander has posted a 13-8 record this season with a 4.38 ERA and a team-best 74 strikeouts in 144.0 innings pitched.
Vandewater, Gilman and the rest of the Creighton softball team will look to continue their pursuit for a BIG EAST Regular Season title when they take on UConn in a three-game series this weekend in Storrs, Conn.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Tara Vandewater, So., INF, Creighton
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Addy Frye, Fr., P, Providence
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Audrey Gilman, Fr., P, Creighton
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Olivia Robards, Butler
Kaitlyn Kibling, UConn
Kelly Greene, DePaul
Emily Jonte, Providence
Natasha Limbani, St. John's
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
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Saturday, April 18
Creighton Softball Highlights Game 1 vs. St. John's, 4/18/26
Saturday, April 18
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. St. John's, 4/17/26
Friday, April 17
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Georgetown, 4/11/26
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