Loyola's Andresen Named to Senior CLASS List

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Loyola senior Brooke Andresen (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) was one of 30 student-athletes from NCAA Division I softball to be selected as a candidate for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award it was announced today. To be eligible for the award, an individual must be a senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character, and competition.

Andresen, a three-time First Team All-Horizon League selection in her storied career at Loyola University Chicago, is the lone Horizon League representative on the Senior CLASS Award candidate list. The left-handed hitting outfielder, who has hit .325 or better in each of her three seasons as a Rambler, needs 11 hits to tie Ellen Antonacci’s career school record (177), and is just the second player in Loyola history to earn first team all-conference accolades in each of her first three seasons.

A two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete, Andresen needs 30 runs to tie Tara Miller’s Loyola career mark (115), and she enters the 2013 season situated third in school history with a .345 career batting average.

Last season, Andresen batted .325 (54 for 166) and posted personal bests of five home runs and 24 RBI. Off the field, the sweet-swinging lefty has been a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and Horizon League Softball All-Academic Team, and this year is a member of Loyola’s prestigious Maroon and Gold Society, which recognizes 25 of the best and brightest seniors on campus for their leadership, academic excellence, and service to others. The members of the Maroon and Gold Society serve as a liaison between the student body and University President.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The crop of candidates will be narrowed down to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will then be placed on the official ballot, which will be distributed nationwide to media, coaches, and fans, who in turn, will select the winner. This year’s Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, May 30 – June 5.

Loyola opens the 2013 season this weekend at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

(Release courtesy of LoyolaRamblers.com)