Freshmen Jennifer Burns of Robert Morris College and Nicole Dimiceli of Judson University made their impact felt in the very first week of their collegiate careers as they were named Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, for the week ending March 16.

All Burns (Tinley Park, Ill.) did was go 6-1 on the mound with a 1.75 earned run average in Robert Morris’ impressive opening week of play. In her first-ever collegiate game, a 4-2 win over Missouri Valley College on March 10, Burns struck out 13 batters against just one walk and followed that up with a 12-strikeout effort in an 8-7 victory over Patten University (CA). For the week, she struck out 46 batters in 40 innings, while allowing 35 hits in seven games.

Of Burns’ six wins, five came in succession to start the season. She also closed the week allowing just four runs over her final five appearances covering 25 innings (1.12 ERA).

Robert Morris concluded its 12-game, six-day trip going 10-2.

Dimiceli’s statistics were just as noteworthy as she opened her career hitting safely in each of the team’s 10 games on its spring trip, closing with a .529 batting average (18-of-34) for the week. A shortstop/third baseman, Dimiceli (Itasca, Ill.) produced multiple hits in seven of those contests and registered seven extra-base hits (five doubles, two home runs) among her 18 total for an .853 slugging percentage.

She also scored runs in six of the ten games and drove in 10. Her other numbers included four steals in as many attempts.

Judson’s 6-4 start is its best under fourth-year head coach Becky Bruns.