Horizon League Softball Release #2
Feb. 19, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Cleveland State's Whitney Willard and Amanda Macenko took home the League's weekly softball awards after helping the Vikings to a 4-0 record and the UNC-Greensboro Tournament title this past weekend. Macenko received the League's Pitcher of the Week honor for the fifth time in her career, while Willard was named Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Horizon League Player of the Week
Whitney Willard, Cleveland State
Sr. * OF * Nova, Ohio
Willard earned her first career Player of the Week award after she helped the Vikings to a 4-0 mark this past week. The CSU senior returned from an injury that sidelined her for the final 13 games of the 2007 season and went 5-for-10 (.500) with four RBIs, three runs, and three stolen bases. Against UMBC, she drove in the winning run in a 1-0 victory and had three hits, a RBI and a run scored in the 5-1 triumph over Central Michigan.
Horizon League Pitcher of the Week
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Brunswick, Ohio
Macenko collects her fifth Pitcher of the Week honor of her career after she went 3-0 with an earned run average of 0.00. The Viking sophomore also tallied one save at the UNC-Greensboro Spartan Classic. For the week, Macenko threw 20.0 innings, allowed just eight hits, struck out 24 and walked only four. The CSU right-hander held opponents to a .119 batting average.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 17
Melissa Marinacci, UIC
Jr. * INF * Yorba Linda, Calif.
Marinacci went 8-for-15 (.533) at the plate in five games in the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. last weekend. Marinacci totaled three runs, two doubles, three RBI and one home run en route to all-tournament team honors. The first baseman was 2-for-3 with two runs versus UT-Arlington in game one of the tournament she then picked up a hit and a run against North Dakota State to warp up day one. In day two, the junior was 1-for-3 with a solo home run against UT-San Antonio and was 2-for-3 with one run and an RBI against New Mexico State. Marinacci concluded the tournament with two doubles and an RBI against Colorado State.
Kristen Bradshaw, Wright State
So. * SS * Portsmouth, Ohio
In five games last week, Bradshaw went 8-for-17 (.471) with seven RBIs. On the base paths, the sophomore scored four runs and stole four bases on four attempts. In addition, Bradshaw two extra base hits and finished with a slugging percentage of .647. The Ohio native saved her best performance of the week for the Raiders' second match up against Fordham on Sunday as she went 2-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs.
News From Around the League
Butler
The Bulldogs open their 2008 slate on Feb. 29 as they play a three-game series against Georgia on the road.
Butler returns eight players who started 30 or more games on last year's team which placed fourth in the Horizon League Tournament.
Second-year head coach Jeanne Rayman has added six newcomers to this year's squad, including four high school all-state performers.
In 2007, The Bulldogs tied the single season school record for wins in a season as BU finished with a 26-24 record. It was Butler's first winning season since 1991. The 26 wins were the most for Butler as a Division I program.
In addition, Butler set a school record with 25 home runs last season. Players who contributed 23 of those home runs return in 2008.
Cleveland State
The Vikings (4-0) began their 2008 season this past weekend and went 4-0 to capture the 2008 UNC-Greensboro Spartan Classic title in Greensboro, N.C.
CSU posted wins over James Madison (8-0), Niagara (2-1), UMBC (1-0) and Central Michigan (5-1) and outscored its opponents by a count of 16-2. The Vikings also held the their opponents to a combined batting average of .146 and just nine hits in the squad's first 19 innings of the season. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Mecenko pitched 20.0 innings and struck out 24 batters during the three games en route to a 3-0 record. Mecenko also held her opponents to a batting average of .119.
Offensively the CSU had four players hit over .300 during the four-game period. In addition, the Vikings collected 11 hits and posted a .313 batting average with runners in scoring position this past weekend. Senior infielder Whitney Willard led the way for the Vikings as she went 5-for-10 (.500) and collected three RBIs.
Cleveland State will not play again until March 1 as it travels to Richmond, Ky. to compete in the Eastern Kentucky Invitational. Eastern Kentucky, Dayton and Appalachian State will comprise the tournament field
CSU is scheduled to play a minimum of 21 games in the first 32 days of the schedule, all of which will be away from home as the Vikings faceoff against 19 different opponents.
Detroit
The Titans (0-5) dropped each of their first five games while competing in the Stetson Lead-Off Classic in DeLand, Fla., Feb. 8-10.
Three of Detroit's losses came in extra innings. The Titans took No. 22 Ohio State into extra innings in the tournament's opening game, but fell 2-0 in nine innings to the reigning Big Ten champions.
UDM hit just .122 as a team and are still looking for their first extra base hit of the season. Sophomore Courtney Gill led the offense with four hits and two RBIs as she started in all five games.
UDM returns to action against Lehigh on March 2 as it competes in the Rebel Games in Orlando, Fla. The Titans will play in 10 games during the five-day tournament.
Green Bay
The Phoenix (0-5) opened its season Feb. 9 and played five games in two days at the Fargodome Tournament in Fargo, N.D.
The Phoenix began the tournament on Saturday and struggled offensively as it was shutout in the first two games losing to North Dakota State (8-0) and Iowa State (8-0). In the loss to Iowa State, Green Bay was held without of hit.
Green Bay's offense rebounded in the final game as it collected 13 hits, but fell short in a 10-5 loss to North Dakota State.
In the second day of the tournament on Sunday Green Bay's offensive struggles continued as it lost to Iowa State (8-0) and North Dakota State (7-2).
The Phoenix is off until March 14-20, when the team plays at the Rebel Games in Orlando, Fla.
Loyola
The Ramblers (2-3) posted victories over UNLV and Texas Tech at the Sportco Spring Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 8-10.
The Ramblers' three losses came at the hands of nationally ranked teams from the Pac-10 Conference - Washington and Arizona State. Loyola is now 3-5 in its last eight contests versus ranked teams, dating back to last season.
LU's season-opener on Feb. 8 marked the earliest season opener for Loyola, eclipsing its previous earliest start of Feb. 14 back in 1997.
Senior infielder Kat Krause added to her Loyola career record for home runs by belting two long balls in a 12-11, extra-inning victory over UNLV on Friday.
Loyola clubbed four home runs in the victory over UNLV, with freshman Jenna Grim and sophomore Angie Funston each hitting their first career homers.
The Ramblers return to action on March 1 when the faceoff against Texas Tech in the Worth Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.
UIC
The Flames (2-7) dropped five straight games this past weekend, while competing at the New Mexico State Tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico. UIC fell to UT-Arlington (3-2), North Dakota State (6-3), New Mexico State (7-1), UT-San Antonio (11-3) and Colorado State (9-5).
Offensively, the Flames totaled eight doubles on the weekend with seven players posting batting averages over .300. Junior infielder Melissa Marinacci was UIC's top offensive performer as she batted .533 to go along with eight hits and three RBIs en route to receiving All-Tournament team honors.
In addition senior outfielder Brittany Dixon and junior infielder Sarah Clynes each picked up a home run on the weekend. Clynes also fanned nine batters in 17.1 innings pitched.
The Flames return to action on Feb. 29 as they travel to the Arizona Tournament to take on Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, USF and Arizona.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders begin the 2008 season on Thursday against Tulsa as part of the Tulsa Invitational.
In each of the last three seasons Valpo has impproved from 12 to 22 to 27 victories
Head coach Randy Schneider led the 2007 team to a school record tying 27 victories. In four seasons, he is already the winningest coach in program history with 83 victories.
Six of nine starting position players return from the 2007 team that set school records for slugging percentage, doubles, home runs, total bases, stolen bases and RBIs.
Wright State
The Raiders (0-5) began their season at the Bulldog Round Robin in Starkville, Miss., and fell to Fordham twice (12-7; 11-9), Mississippi State twice (4-0; 5-2) and Southern Illinois once (7-5).
The three opponents WSU faced, though, either appeared in the preseason USA Today/NFCA poll (No. 22 Mississippi State) or received votes (Fordham, Southern Illinois).
Offensively the Raiders hit .279 as a team this past weekend. Sophomore outfielder Jamie Perkins was named to the all-tournament team.
Wright State faces another tough weekend ahead at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament this weekend, taking on host USF, Wisconsin, Hofstra, Georgia Tech and South Carolina.
Youngstown State
The Penguins begin play on Feb. 28 against Saint Mary's in the Santa Clara Tournament.
YSU returns 14 letterwinners, including eight starters and six seniors, from the 2007 squad.
Five players that hit at least .313 last season return to the Penguins lineup in 2008.
In 2007, Youngstown State hit a school-record .279 and blasted 26 home runs, which ranks third on the single-season list.
