May 13, 2005

CLEVELAND - A day after being named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, Cleveland State junior Grace Luginbuhl was honored for her work in the classroom as she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second team on Thursday (May 12). The Lima, Ohio native is a chemical engineering major with a 3.73 grade point average and was a first team Academic All-District pick in 2004.

This season, Luginbuhl was a first team All-Horizon League selection at both designated player and pitcher. She 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). Overall on the year, she is 15-12 with a 2.19 ERA and 158 strikeouts, while batting .250 with 18 RBI, 17 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore starter or significant reserve on her team with a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. The District IV team is compiled from NCAA Division I softball teams from Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Members of the first team go on to represent District IV on the Academic All-America ballot.

Third-seeded Cleveland State is slated to face No. 5 Detroit at 2:00 p.m. CDT on Friday (May 13) at the Horizon League Championship in Green Bay, Wis. The winner advances to the title game of the double-elimination tournament. Luginbuhl pitched the Vikings to a perfect 2-0 mark on the opening day of the tournament, limiting Butler and UW-Green Bay to a single run each and nine total hits in 14.0 innings of work.