Detroit's Rafter Named Horizon League's Softball Player of the Year, Cleveland State's Luginbuhl Earns Pitcher of the Year honors

May 10, 2006

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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Detroit Mercy sophomore infielder/catcher Kaleigh Rafter picked up Horizon League Player of the Year honors and Cleveland State University senior Grace Luginbuhl took home the League's Pitcher of the Year award, as the League office announced its softball specialty awards and All-League teams on Wednesday (May 10). Also receiving honors were University of Illinois at Chicago freshman pitcher Sarah Clynes (Newcomer of the Year) and Detroit Head Coach Bob Wilkerson (Coach of the Year).

Rafter, who is the first Titan to win the award since Krista Peters in 2002, helped Detroit a school-record 13 League victories during the 2006 season. The Guelph, Ontario, native finished the League schedule with the loop-best marks in home runs (seven), RBI (23), total bases (56) and slugging percentage (.903). She also owns the second-highest batting average in League-play at .435 and set a new Titan standard with 12 round-trippers on the campaign. Rafter has notched 13 multi-hit games this season and has had 10 games with multiple RBI.

Luginbuhl repeated as the Pitcher of the Year with a stellar senior season in the circle. The Lima, Ohio, native went 22-9 on the campaign with a 2.19 ERA. She topped the League in strikeouts (218), opponents batting average (.205), innings pitched (211.1), complete games (25) and shutouts (7).

Clynes burst onto the scene in her rookie season with the Flames. The right-hander went 13-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 141.0 innings of work, helping the Flames capture their third consecutive regular-season title. She tossed the first no-hitter by a UIC pitcher since Alison Aguilar blanked Fordham on March 16, 2002, when she tossed a no-no against Detroit on April 8.

Wilkerson guided the Titans to a 13-7 mark in conference play, with the victory total setting a new program standard. Detroit, which was picked sixth in the preseason poll, finished just a game back of regular-season champion UIC in the final standings. The Titan's third-place finish was the school's highest since 2002.

Cleveland State and Detroit each placed three players on the First-Team All-League squad, with Michelle Penney and Whitney Willard representing CSU, while Sarah Dickey and Katrina Klemp joined the Titan contingent. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay also had three First-Team selections in Jenna Woepse, Kate Sullivan and Lisa Meissner, while Joyce Cathey represented UIC. Amy Hyerczyk of Butler University and Tara Miller from Loyola University Chicago rounded out the top honor squad.

Cathey and Luginbuhl are the only repeat members of the squad. Dickey, Klemp and Sullivan all earned second-team honors in 2005.

The second team features Clynes, Jenny Jacobs (Butler), Christa Coppus (Cleveland State), J.J. Thornberry (Cleveland State), Michelle Baggio (Detroit), Nicole Robinson (UIC), Katerina Krause (Loyola), Nora Schober (Loyola), Anna Nieznanski (UW-Green Bay), Tiffany Patteson (Youngstown State University), Amanda Cody (Wright State University) and Karlie Burnell (Youngstown State).

Clynes headlines an All-Newcomer team that includes Coppus, Brittney Hire (Detroit), Melissa Marinacci (UIC), Laura DeLeon (Loyola), Kaycee Tharp (Loyola), Melanie McInally (Wright State), Michelle Logan (Wright State), Jessie Granger (Wright State) and Kristen McDonnell (Youngstown State).

The 2006 Horizon League Softball Championship is scheduled to begin on Thursday (May 11) at McCune Park in Canfield, Ohio. Opening-round action has (#2 seed) Cleveland State (14-7 in the League, 35-13 overall) facing (#7 seed) Wright State (6-15, 6-39) at 9 a.m., followed by (#3 seed) Detroit (13-7, 17-26) going up against host and sixth-seeded Youngstown State (10-10, 18-25) at 11 a.m. Action continues at 1 p.m. when (#4 seed) UW-Green Bay (10-10, 13-19) takes on (#5 seed) Loyola (10-10, 18-39), while UIC (14-6, 24-31) plays (#8 seed) Butler (4-16, 17-28-1) at 4 p.m. to wrap up the opening round.