CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Presbyterian College softball team has now gone 2-for-2 in terms of receiving a weekly award from the Big South Conference, announcing that rookie second-baseman Hali Duke is the league's Freshman of the Week on Tuesday morning.

Just eight games into her collegiate career, Duke owns the second-highest batting average on PC's roster (.391), which is also the best of any true freshman in the Big South.

The announcement comes seven days after Peyton Duncan was selected as the conference Pitcher of the Week. Presby has certainly turned heads in the early stages of 2026, currently holding a 5-3 record after going 3-1 last weekend.

Duke hit a solid .429 in 14 plate appearances to get her first Freshman of the Week pick, joining infield teammate Baxleigh Arnette who also won this award 12 months ago.





 
DUKE DELIVERS
 

- A native of Georgia, Duke is currently tied for the team-lead in RBI (six) after batting in five runs against Mercyhurst, ETSU, and UAlbany.

- Five days after hitting her first college home run in a tight win over Morehead State, Hali assembled three RBI in a 10-7 triumph over Mercyhurst while doubling twice.

- Versus that same opponent less than 24 hours later, she put together the first three-hit effort of her young college career. Duke slugged .571 over the weekend to add to a .429 on-base ratio.

- The rookie lined up six putouts and seven assists at the second-base spot, a position that she has owned since arriving with the team.

- Thanks in part to Duke's efficiency, the Blue Hose smacked Mercyhurst in consecutive days for 22 combined runs. They scored five in the 5^th inning of the first game and then diagrammed a season-high eight runs in the 4^th inning of the rematch.


 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HISTORY

 
- Presbyterian has secured at least one Big South Freshman of the Week nod in three straight seasons, with Duke joining Arnette last year and Kasey Wolfe in 2024 (who won it three times).

- Since head coach David Williams took over eight years ago, PC has seen seven different players gain a conference Freshman of the Week honor.

- Duke becomes the 13^th Blue Hose to win any weekly award from the Big South under Williams' tutelage (nine "player, two "pitcher", and seven "freshman").


 
LOOKING AHEAD

 
- PC will have an intriguing in-state matchup on their hands tomorrow to conclude a season-starting nine-game homestand, welcoming Wofford for a 6:00 first pitch.

- The Terriers have begun the '26 campaign with an 8-1 record and they'll come to Clinton with a six-game winning streak in tow. They too hosted their own tournament over the weekend, beating UNC Wilmington, St. Bonaventure, and UMBC twice.

- Presby downed Wofford with a walk-off single when they last played at PC's complex, although the Terriers took the rematch in Spartanburg by a 4-0 clip.