May 10, 2011
Contact: Brian McCann
CLEVELAND, Ohio - For the second time in two seasons, Cleveland State sophomore Tess Sito has been named the Horizon League Softball Player of the Year. Sito was also named to the all-league first team while teammate Dara Toman was an all-league second team selection.
The Horizon League announced the awards, which were determined by a vote of the league's coaches, on Tuesday (May 10).
"I am happy for Tess and Dara," head coach Angie Nicholson said. "But I am also disappointed for several other players who have meant so much to our success this year but were not voted all-league."
Sito also was voted player of the year in 2010, making her only the second person in conference history to be earn the honor as a freshman and sophomore. Terri Kobata of Notre Dame is the other, having been named player of the year in both 1993 and 1994, back when the Horizon League was still the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
Sito is the sixth player in conference history to earn multiple player of the year awards and the fifth to earn the distinction in consecutive seasons.
"The more we play, the more it is apparent that Tess is quite simply the best all-around athlete in the league," Nicholson said. "To be chosen as the player of the year again shows the respect that the league has for her."
Sito has made 36 starts in 44 appearances on the mound for Cleveland State and leads the Horizon League in strikeouts (293), wins (24) and innings pitched (272.2). One of the Vikings' top offensive threats, she's the Vikings' leader in hits (58), doubles (11), stolen bases (18) and runs scored (30) and has the second best batting average (.369) in the league. In 75 at-bats against league opponents, she has only struck out five times, posting an OPS of 1.023.
With a team-high 10 home runs this season, Toman, a sophomore, is tied with Lia Gordon (1997-200) for the school record for career home runs with 26. One of the team's best power hitter this season, she has batted in 27 runs with nine doubles and two triples and leads the team with a .574 slugging percentage.
After finishing the regular season with a 28-19 overall and a 13-8 league record, the Vikings begin play in the Horizon League Softball Championship as the No. 4 seed, meeting No. 5 UIC in a 12:00 noon EDT contest on Wednesday (May 11). A win would pit CSU against top-seeded and host Loyola on Thursday (May 12) at 12:00 noon EDT with the conference championship game scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday (May 14).
2011 Softball Awards
Player of the Year - Tess Sito, Cleveland State
Newcomer of the Year - Brittany Gardner, Loyola
Pitcher of the Year - Jenny Esparza, Butler
Coach of the Year - Missy Beseres, Loyola
All-League First Team
Tess Sito, Cleveland State
Erin Falkenberry, Butler
Coryn Schmit, UIC
Jordan Rutkowski, Valparaiso
Lauren Arceneaux, Loyola
Sara Strickland, Valparaiso
Louie Haney, Wright State
Jordan Ingalls, Youngstown State
Lauren McNulty, Butler
Brooke Andersen, Loyola
Carly DeMarco, UIC
Alli Rivera, Green Bay (Designated Player)
Jenny Esparza, Butler (Pitcher)
Brittany Gardner, Loyola (Pitcher)
Second Team All-League
Mollie Berry, Wright State
Dara Toman, Cleveland State
Olivia Bell, Loyola
China Frost, Wright State
Sadie Conner, Valparaiso
Natalie Hernandez, UIC
Justine Shilt, Wright State
Erin Jackson, Butler
KC Boldt, Valparaiso
Chelsea Archer, Wright State
Kim Klonowski, Youngstown State (DP)
Alex Lagesse, Valparaiso (Pitcher)
Keali Engelkens, Loyola (Pitcher)
All-Newcomer Team
Olivia Bell, Loyola
Brittany Gardner, Loyola
Shannon Butts, Green Bay
Natalie Hernandez, UIC
Amanda Wisniewski, Valparaiso
Chelsea Archer, Wright State
Sara Cupp, Detroit
Keali Engelkens, Loyola
Angie Doerffler, Valparaiso
Kacie Rapshus, Wright State
