NEW ORLEANS, La. — For the fourth time in five weeks, the Texas State softball program has picked up the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Week honor as senior shortstop Tara Oltmann received the award Tuesday afternoon, the league office announced. 

"Tara is the hardest working player I have ever coached," Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woodard said. "Her approach to the game last week was so fun to watch."

Oltmann, who was also selected as the league's player of the week during the third week of the season, joins second baseman Sara Vanderford as the only active Bobcats to win the conference's weekly award multiple times during their time in San Marcos. Vanderford, who won the honor during Week 4 and 5 of the 2021 season, and Oltmann are the only pair of teammates to win the award this season.

Oltmann and Vanderford are the first pair of teammates to win the Sun Belt Player of the Week award in the same since UTA's Avery Grimes and Kimber Cortmelia did so the first two weeks of the 2020 season, which is also the last time a pair of teammates won the award in back-to-back weeks prior to Oltmann and Vanderford taking the honor in Week 3 and 4 on the 2021 season. 

For the week, in which the Bobcats swept a three-game series at Georgia State, Oltmann slashed .667/.727/1.222 in nine official plate appearances. Her five runs scored tied Hannah Earls for the team lead, while her six hits, two doubles, six runs batted in and 11 total bases were the most by a Bobcat last week. 

Oltmann also hit a home run, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch throughout Texas State's three games at Georgia State. 

Oltmann enters Tuesday's game against Tarleton State riding a team-high 17-game hitting and on-base streak dating back to Texas State's game at then-No. 7 Texas on Feb. 24. She has at least one hit in 18 of the 20 games she's appeared in this season. Oltmann is tied with Vanderford for the team-lead with seven multi-RBI games this season and is tied with Hailey MacKay for second on the team with seven multi-hit games this season behind Vanderford's 10.