The Iowa Community College Athletic Association (ICCAC) has named DMACC softball players Molly Jacobsen and Claire Dudek the ICCAC Division II Softball Pitcher and Player of the Week respectively for the week of May 1-7.

Jacobsen, a freshman from Adel, earned ICCAC Division II Softball Pitcher of the Week for the fifth time this season and was further honored by being named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season.

Dudek, a sophomore from Urbandale, was honored by the conference for the first time this season.

Jacobsen and Dudek are two of six DMACC softball players to earn ICCAC pitcher or player of the week awards this season. Sophomore Kerigan Torres of Des Moines and freshmen Abby Gehringer of Indianola and Bre Hunter of Boone have also been named players of the week and sophomore Ashley Sicard of Ackley has earned the pitching honor.

Jacobsen, the NJCAA Region XI Division II Pitcher of the Year, went 4-0 during the week to improve to 24-3 for the season. She pitched the Bears to two victories against Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) in the NJCAA Region XI Softball Tournament and got two more wins when DMACC defeated North Platte Community College (NPCC) to win the NJCAA District G championship and advance to the NJCAA Division II Softball Championship. Jacobsen worked 24 innings in the four games and struck out 35 batters, bringing her season total to 253, second best in NJCAA Division II. She also ranks second nationally in earned run average at 0.97.

For the season, Jacobsen has pitched 158 and a third innings, allowing 92 hits and 32 runs, 22 of which are earned. She has walked 33 batters.

Dudek hit .643, scored nine runs and stole six bases in six attempts during DMACC's Region XI and District G tournament run. She is one of three DMACC softball players to earn all-region first team honors for the second consecutive season. A second-team All-American as a freshman, Dudek is hitting .432 with on on-base percentage of .498 and a slugging percentage of .585. She has 79 hits in 183 at-bats, including 10 doubles, six triples and two home runs. Dudek has driven in 41 runs and leads the team in runs scored with 66. She ranks sixth nationally in stolen bases with 47.

DMACC takes a 46-7 record and a No. 5 ranking in NJCAA Division II into the NJCAA Division II Softball Championship May 17 to 20 at Clinton, Miss. The Bears are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the national tournament that their fifth in the past six seasons. Pairings for the tournament will be announced at a later date.