Horizon League Softball Release #3
Feb. 26, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Valparaiso sophomore catcher Whitney Warner was selected Player of the Week and Wright State sophomore right-hander Allison Cox was named Pitcher of the Week. Warner finished the week with a .778 batting average, while Cox went 1-0 and allowed three runs in three appearances.
Horizon League Player of the Week
Whitney Warner, Valparaiso
Sr. * OF * Greenwood, Ind.
Warner is the first player from Valparaiso to be named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week. The Indiana native receives the award after she posted a batting average of .778. Warner began the 2008 season on Saturday by going 2-for-2 with a walk against North Dakota State. Against Tulsa, the Valpo sophomore went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. She then concluded the week on Sunday with a 3-for-4 effort, which included her first career home run in a 6-1 win over Eastern Illinois.
Horizon League Pitcher of the Week
Allison Cox, Wright State
So. * RHP * Chillicothe, Ohio
Cox receives her first career Player of the Week honor after she went 1-0, worked 15.1 innings and struck out nine batters in three appearances. The WSU sophomore began the week by tossing a complete-game shutout against Wisconsin on Friday. Against the Badgers, Cox struck out seven, scattered six hits and gave up a walk. In addition, Cox pitched 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, struck out two and gave up six hits against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 24
Andrea Zappia, Valparaiso
Sr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
In two appearances last week, Zappia went 1-1, struck out six batters and allowed seven hits in 12.0 innings of work. The Indiana native opened the week by tossing a complete-game four-hitter against North Dakota State, but took the loss. Zappia then bounced back against Eastern Illinois to earn first win of season as she allowed just three hits over six innings of work.
Kristen Bradshaw, Wright State
So. * SS * Portsmouth, Ohio
In five games this past week, Bradshaw batted .357. In the Raiders' two victories against USF and Wisconsin, the Ohio native went 3-for-7 with a home run and four RBIs. Against USF, Bradshaw singled and stole a base against. She then went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBIs against Wisconsin.
News From Around the League
Butler
The Bulldogs open their 2008 slate on Friday as they face off against Longwood, Georgia and Michigan State on Feb. 29-March 2.
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) opened their 2008 season by going 4-0 on Feb. 15-17 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 Sunday 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. on 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 Saturday when the faceoff against Texas Tech in the Worth Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.
UIC
The Flames (2-7) dropped five straight games on Feb. 15-17, while competing at the Hotel Encanto Invitational 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 Friday as they travel to the Arizona Tournament to take on Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, USF and Arizona.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders (1-2) began their 2008 season this past weekend at the Tulsa Invitational in Tulsa, Okla. In three games, Valpo lost to North Dakota (4-3) and Tulsa (8-5) on Saturday, but finished the tournament with a win over Eastern Illinois (6-1) on Sunday.
Junior outfielder Ashley Wolter went 4-for-8 on the weekend with three runs, five RBIs, two doubles, and two home runs. Wolter has nine career long-balls and is tied for fifth-most in Valpo history
Junior outfielder Karen Korb posted first career three-hit game against EIU, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Kayla Grutz made pinch-running appearances in all three games for Valpo on the weekend, and scored a run in each appearance.
The Crusaders head to the Rebel Spring Games starting on Saturday. Valpo went 9-3 in Florida last year, including an eight-game win streak to close out the trip
Wright State
The Raiders (2-8) went 2-3 at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, defeating USF (2-1) and Wisconsin (5-0) on Friday before falling to Hofstra (5-1), Georgia Tech (5-0) on Saturday. WSU closed out the tournament with a 6-0 loss to South Carolina (6-0).
Kristen Bradshaw continued her strong start to the 2008 season as she hit .357 in the five games with four RBI. Overall, the sophomore is hitting .419 with 11 RBI in 10 games.
Wright State heads South again this weekend for the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Raiders will face off against Jackson State and Kentucky on Friday, Buffalo and Eastern Illinois on Saturday and concludes the week against Morehead State on Sunday.
Youngstown State
The Penguins begin play on Thursday 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.
