WSU's Williams Named Horizon League's Softball Player of the Year, CSU's Macenko Earns Pitcher of the Year Honors

May 7, 2008

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Championship Banquet - Photo Gallery

INDIANAPOLIS - Wright State University senior Jherica Williams was tabbed Horizon League Players of the Year and Cleveland State University sophomore Amanda Macenko received Pitcher of the Year, as the League office announced its softball specialty awards and All-League teams at the end of the year banquet on Wednesday (May 7). University of Illinois at Chicago freshman Alicia Abbott was selected Newcomer of the Year. Also receiving honors were head coaches Angie Nicholson (Cleveland State) and Randy Schneider (Valparaiso University) as they were named Co-Coaches of the Year.

Williams, who was the 2007 Newcomer of the Year, led the League in 10 offensive categories including batting average (.472), home runs (17) and RBIs (71). The Ohio native is just the second player in League history to lead the circuit in batting average, home runs and RBIs (Cameron Astiazaran, UIC, 2005). Williams' final regular-season batting average and RBI total rank as the second-highest single-season total in League history. Her 2008 home run count ties her with UIC's Astiazaran (2005) as the second-highest in circuit history. In addition, the WSU catcher was named Horizon League Player of the Week three times this season.

Macenko received the League's top pitching honor after she led the circuit in eight categories, including earned-run average (1.41), innings pitched (243.0) and wins (24). In 2008, the Ohio native struck out 10 or more batters on six occasions and was selected as the League's Pitcher of the Week. Last season the CSU right-hander was named to the All-Newcomer team.

Abbott hit .297 during her rookie season with the Flames. In League only games, the freshman first-baseman ranked in the top 10 in six offensive categories, including hits (24), RBIs (11) and batting average (.348).

Nicholson guided the Vikings to a League-best 14-4 mark in conference play after being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll and handed the Vikings their first-ever regular season title. Schneider shared the circuit's top coaching honor with Nicholson after he directed Valparaiso to a second-place finish in its first season in the Horizon League. The Crusaders, which were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, finished the year with a League-best 30 overall victories.

Wright State led the First-Team All-League squad with three players on the squad led by Williams, Jamie Perkins and Kristen Bradshaw representing the Raiders. Cleveland State (Christa Coppus and Macenko), UIC (Sarah Clynes and Brooke Frydendall) and Valparaiso University (Tracy Korth and Andrea Zappia) all placed two student-athletes on the top squad. Youngstown State University's McKenzie Bedra, Loyola University Chicago's Amy Solava and Butler University's Amy Hyerczyk rounded out the First-Team All-League group.

The Second Team features Whitney Willard (Cleveland State), Danielle Young (Cleveland State), Courtney Gill (University of Detroit Mercy), Jacqueline Nortman (Detroit), Ellen Kresl (Loyola), Angie Funston (Loyola), Nora Schober (Loyola), Ashlee Ackerman (UIC), Melissa Marinacci (UIC), Shannon Robinson (Valparaiso), Justine Shilt (Wright State) and Sharon Palma (Wright State).

Abbott headlines an All-Newcomer team that includes Katelyn Ciminelli (Cleveland State) Amy Powell (Cleveland State), Breanna Sesoko (Detroit), Samantha Howe (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), Haley Ambrosch (Loyola), Palma, Shilt, Louie Haney (Wright State) and Rochelle Vanyi (Youngstown State).

The 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship is scheduled to begin on Thursday (May 8) at Loyola Softball Park in Chicago.