WINONA, Minn. — Makayla Steffes (Winona, Minn.) found herself in familiar territory Monday afternoon.
 
For the third time this season, the Saint Mary's University freshman was honored by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. After already garnering a pair of MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Steffes picked up her first MIAC Pitcher of the Week accolades when the league office announced its weekly winners on Monday.
 
Steffes was virtually untouchable in the first game of the Cardinals' MIAC-opening sweep of St. Catherine last Friday, scattering five hits in twirling a five-inning complete-game shutout in SMU's 8-0 Game 1 victory. The freshman right-hander then came on with two on and two out, inducing a game-ending pop-out to second to earn her first collegiate save in the Cardinals' 5-4 Game 2 victory.
 
Steffes and the Cardinals (2-0 MIAC, 14-2 overall) are back in action with a pair of doubleheaders against UW-River Falls and Carleton on Tuesday and Wednesday. SMU will host UW-River Falls in a 2:30 p.m. nonconference twinbill on Tuesday, before heading to Northfield, Minn., for a 3:30 MIAC doubleheader against Carleton the following day.