Contact: Alan Ashby

May 11, 2005

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Cleveland State junior Grace Luginbuhl was named the Pitcher of the Year as part of the Horizon League softball awards handed out on Wednesday evening. The Lima, Ohio native was joined on the All-Horizon League first team by senior catcher Jackie Cornelius (Cincinnati). Freshman shortstop Amber Lowe (Carrollton, Ohio) earned a spot on the second team, while Lowe and freshman outfielder Whitney Willard (Nova, Ohio) were both named to the All-Newcomer squad.

Current assistant coach Amy Kyler is the only other Viking to earn Pitcher of the Year honors, garnering the award in 1997 when she led CSU to the league championship and the school's only berth in the NCAA Tournament. Luginbuhl was named to the first team both as a designated player and as a pitcher. The only other time the Vikings received three first team selections was in 1999.

A second team selection as a pitcher in 2004, Luginbuhl was outstanding in league play, posting a 7-4 mark and ranking second in ERA (1.72), strikeouts (50) and innings pitched (69.1). A two-time Pitcher of the Week selection this year, she held opponents to a .256 batting average. At the plate, she hit .315 with nine runs scored, seven RBI and a league-best 12 stolen bases (on 12 attempts).

Jackie Cornelius led CSU with a .372 batting average in league play.

Cornelius led the Vikings offensively, hitting .372 in CSU's 15 league games. She drove in 17 runs, slugged .721, scored 12 times and finished among the league leaders in eight different categories. She earned her first career Player of the Week honor on May 2 after helping the Vikings claim their first series ever from UIC. In the April 30 doubleheader with the Flames, she went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and eight RBI.

Batting leadoff, Lowe compiled a .290 batting average with 10 runs scored, seven RBI and three stolen bases in conference action. Overall, she hit .319 with a league-best 18 stolen bases. She hit .380 (19-50) during her team season-high 14-game hitting streak from March 16 to April 11.

Willard took over in left field early in the season and never relinquished her starting spot. She was second on the team with a .340 average in league play, adding five runs and four stolen bases. Overall, she ranked fourth in the league with a .351 average, batting .552 (16-29) during her 11-game hitting streak from March 14 to April 9.

UIC's Cameron Astiazaran was named Horizon League Player of the Year, while Newcomer of the Year honors went to Youngstown State's Sarah Berry. UW-Green Bay first-year head coach Jean Rivett earned Coach of the Year accolades.

The third seeded Vikings (21-24, 10-5 HL) will open play at the 2005 Horizon League Championship against No. 6 Butler (19-31, 7-12 HL) on Thursday, May 12 at 11:00 a.m. CDT. The tournament runs through Saturday (May 14) at the Ashwaubenon Sports Complex in Green Bay, Wis.