May 13, 2009

The Big Ten office announced the 2009 softball All-Big Ten teams and individual honors today with Michigan and Northwestern each earning two individual laurels. NU’s Tammy Williams picked up Player of the Year accolades, while teammate Adrienne Monka was named Freshman of the Year. Michigan’s Nikki Nemitz was tabbed Pitcher of the Year, and her coach Carol Hutchins earned Coach of the Year honors.

Williams, a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, is among the top 10 nationally in home runs per game (8th) and runs per game (9th). The Roscoe, Mo., native is one of only six players in NCAA history with more runs scored (235) than games played (230). This season the prolific shortstop had 31 putouts in Big Ten action and sported a .954 fielding percentage. Overall, Williams finished the regular season with 61 hits, 10 home runs and 36 RBI. The senior swept National Player of the Week honors on March 10, as she earned the nation’s top distinction by both Louisville Slugger/NFCA and USA Softball. Williams is the fifth-straight Wildcat to claim top conference accolades as she collects back-to-back laurels to join three-time titlist Garland Cooper ( 2007, 2006 and 2005), Brooke Siebel (2000) and Lisa Ishikawa, who was named the Big Ten’s first-ever Player of the Year in 1985.

Monka, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., becomes the seventh Northwestern player to be named Freshman of the Year. At the plate, the first year led the conference in slugging percentage (.883), RBI (27) and home runs (9). In addition, she ranks among the top five nationally in each category. The first baseman had 104 putouts and a team-leading .973 fielding percentage. Monka joins teammates Nicole Pauly (2007) and Williams (2006), as current Northwestern players to be named the conference’s top freshman.

Nemitz becomes the 10th Wolverine to earn Pitcher of the Year laurels, joining a litany of standout hurlers. The sophomore closed out the Big Ten campaign with an 11-2 record while leading the conference with a 0.96 ERA. The St. Clair Shores, Mich., native also allowed opponents to hit at only a .148 clip during Big Ten play.

Hutchins claims top coaching laurels after leading the Wolverines to the Big Ten title, marking the 13th time in program history that they have been crowned. This is U-M’s first outright title since the 2005 campaign after sharing top honors a year ago. The Wolverines finished the Big Ten season with a 17-3 mark and went 41-10 overall.  Hutchins picks up her 11th Big Ten Coach of the Year accolade, and this is the fourth time in her career that she has won back-to-back laurels.

In addition to the individual honors, the conference coaches selected three All-Big Ten teams. Consensus first-team honors went to Nemitz and Michigan junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus who highlighted the Wolverine squad, which had a conference-leading five players earn first-team distinction. Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern each featured two student-athletes on the first-team list, while Ohio State rounded out the lineup with one selection.

The conference office also announced honorees from each of the 11 softball squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The student-athletes also must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Honorees for softball are Illinois’ Brooke Buzard, Indiana’s Julie DiNallo, Iowa’s Katie Brown, Michigan’s Teddi Ewing, Michigan State’s Gina Mondo, Minnesota’s Bethany Wolvington, Northwestern’s Jessica Rigas, Ohio State’s Kim Reeder, Penn State’s Sam Hovanec, Purdue’s Alicia Spack and Wisconsin’s Theresa Boruta. These 11 student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.

Six Big Ten teams begin NCAA Championship competition this weekend in regional play. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State and Purdue are participating in the 2009 NCAA Championships, and Michigan and Ohio State will both serve as hosts in the double-elimination regional round. Visit www.bigten.org for additional tournament information.

A complete list of the 2009 Big Ten softball postseason honors follows.  

2009 ALL-BIG TEN SOFTBALL TEAMS AND POSTSEASON HONORS

FIRST TEAM
Adrienne Monka, Fr., NU, 1B
Danielle Zymkowitz, So., ILL, 2B
Tammy Williams, Sr., NU, SS
*Maggie Viefhaus, Jr., MICH, 3B
Colleen McGlaughlin, Sr., IOWA, OF
Angela Findlay, Jr., MICH, OF
Dee Dee Hillman, So., OSU, OF
Roya St. Clair, Jr., MICH, C
Amanda Chidester, Fr., MICH, UT
Katrina Ross, Sr., ILL, DP
Brittany Weil, Sr., IOWA, P
*Nikki Nemitz, Jr., MICH, P

SECOND TEAM
Katie Brown, Jr., IOWA, 1B
Whitney Cooper, Jr., OSU, 2B
Alicia Herron, Fr., OSU, SS
Liane Horiuchi, Jr., PUR, 3B
Hope Howell, Jr., ILL, OF
Bree Evans, Fr., MICH, OF
Ashley Griffith, Jr., PSU, OF
Sam Marder, Jr., OSU, C
Molly Garst, Fr., PUR, UT
Michelle Batts, So., NU, DP
Briana Hassett, Sr., MINN, P
Kim Reeder, Sr., OSU, P

THIRD TEAM
Kelley Wedel, Fr., ILL, 3B
Hollie Pinchback, So., ILL, OF
Emily Bergeson, Sr., IND, SS
Sara Olson, So., IND, UT
Katie Keim, Fr., IOWA, 3B
Liz Watkins, Fr., IOWA, C
Malisa Barnes, So., MINN, 1B
Nicole Pauly, Jr., NU, 2B
Lisa Akamine, Fr., PSU, DP
Jenna Alexander, Jr., PUR, C
Suzie Rzegocki, So., PUR, P
Jennifer Krueger, So., WIS, OF

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tammy Williams, Northwestern

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
*Nikki Nemitz, Michigan

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Adrienne Monka, Northwestern

COACH OF THE YEAR
Carol Hutchins, Michigan

2009 SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
   
    Brooke Buzard, ILL            Julie DiNallo, IND           Katie Brown, IOWA
    Teddi Ewing, MICH            Gina Mondo, MSU          Bethany Wolvington, MINN
    Jessica Rigas, NU              Kim Reeder, OSU           Sam Hovanec, PSU
    Alicia Spack, PUR              Theresa Boruta, WIS        

                        *—Unanimous selection

  

                       

 

Big Ten Softball

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