Horizon League Softball Release #1
Feb. 12, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Loyola senior utility player Kat Krause was tabbed Horizon League softball Player of the Week, while Detroit senior right-hander Kelli Short earned Pitcher of the Week honors. Krause hit .417 in five games this past week to collect her second career Player of the Week honor. Short received her first career Pitcher of the Week award after she struck out 19 batters in three starts over the weekend.
Horizon League Player of the Week
Kat Krause, Loyola
Sr. * UTL * Arlington Heights, Ill.
Krause earns her second Player of the Week award of her career after she batted .417 (5 for 12) with five runs, a double, two home runs, four RBI and four stolen bases, while competing at the Sportco Spring Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. The Illinois native was at her best against UNLV as she went 2-for-4 with four runs, two homers and three RBI against to lead the Ramblers to a 12-11 win. Krause's two home runs added to her own LU career record of 28 home runs.
Horizon League Pitcher of the Week
Kelli Short, Detroit
Sr. * RHP * Toledo, Ohio
In three starts this past week, Short pitched 24.2 innings, struck out 19 batters, allowed only three earned runs and did not allow a single extra-base hit, while competing at the Stetson Leadoff Classic in Deland, Fla. Against No. 22 ranked Ohio State, the UDM senior struck out 19 batters and limited the Buckeyes to just two hits.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 10
Mollie Kabisch, Green Bay
Jr. * 2B * Colgate, Wis.
Kabisch was named to the Miken Dome All-Tournament team after she led the squad with a .333 batting average during the five-game tournament. The Green Bay junior also had three RBIs and a .571 on-base percentage.
Krista Crosson, Loyola
Jr. * RHP * Lake Stevens, Wash.
Crosson made three starts, had 11 strikeouts, worked 9.0 innings and sported a 2.00 earned run average this past week. In the Ramblers win over the UNLV, Crosson hurled 4.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, while striking out four. The LU junior also worked 4.0 innings and allowed just two earned runs against No. 2 Arizona State.
Stephanie Chavez, UIC
So. * C * Yorba Linda, Calif.
Chavez went 5-for-12 with two runs and four RBIs in UIC's opening weekend at the University of San Diego tournament in San Diego, Calif. In the Flames' 9-1 win over San Diego, the California native was 2-for-3 with two RBIs on Saturday. On Sunday, Chavez went 1-for-3 and scored UIC's lone run in a 1-0 victory of San Diego.
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 begin their 2008 season on Friday when they face-off against James Madison in the UNC-Greensboro Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
CSU returns eight of its 10 starters from last year's team that posted a 33-14 record.
CSU's 33 wins marked just the third time in program history that the Vikings had won more than 30 games in a season.
In 2007, Cleveland State finished with an 8-6 mark in League play and six of those wins came on the road.
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, this past weekend.
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 with five games in two days over this past weekend in 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. last weekend.
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-open 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 began its 2008 campaign on Saturday and played four games in two days at the University of San Diego Tournament in San Diego, Calif.
UIC opened the event on Saturday with a 5-1 loss to Stanford. The Cardinal held the Flames to just five hits in the contest. The Flames would rebound as they collected 10 hits to defeat San Diego 9-1.
On the final day of the tournament, UIC tallied a tournament-best 11 hits, but still fell short against Long Beach State, 5-4. The Flames closed the event by shutting out San Diego, 1-0.
As a team, UIC outscored its opponents 15-11 and batted .282 for the week.
UIC returns to field on Friday when it faces off against Texas-Arlington and North Dakota State in the first day of the New Mexico State Tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders begin the 2008 season on Feb. 21 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 begin their season on Friday against Fordham as they compete in the Bulldog Round Robin in Starkville, Miss.
WSU returns nine letterwinners from last year's squad that won the Horizon League Tournament title. All nine letterwinners started at least 36 games in 2007.
Of the six Raiders honored at the 2007 Horizon League Tournament, five return in 2008, led by sophomore pitcher/outfielder Jamie Perkins, who was the tournament MVP and also received the Pitching Award.
Sophomore outfielder/catcher Briauna Birl, who was the recipient of the Defensive Award, also returns as does sophomore pitcher Allison Cox, sophomore second baseman Malerie Klingler and senior first baseman Jacqueline Macy, all of whom were named to the All-Tournament Team.
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.
