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May 10, 2000

Bloomsburg Softball Players Earn Post-Season Awards

Erica Miller Repeats as PSAC Player of the Year

BLOOMSBURG—Seven members of the Bloomsburg University softball have been honored for their outstanding play this season.

Named All- Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) first team were Erica Miller (Williamsport/Williamsport),Michele Dreistadt (Moosic/Riverside),Vanessa Sterner (Bloomsburg/Bloomsburg), and Kerri Cooper (Markham, Ont. Canada/Markham Distr.). Named All-PSAC second team were Tanya Heath (Binghamton, NY/Chenago Forks) and

Chris Bertatie (New Berlinville/Boyertown).

In addition, Miller, Dreistadt, Sterner and Melanie Anderson (East Hampton, NY/East Hampton) were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Mid-Atlantic All-Region first team.

Miller, a junior shortstop, was named the PSAC's Player of the Year as well as first team All-PSAC for the second consecutive season. The winner of the Joanne McComb Outstanding Female Underclassman Award at Bloomsburg as well as the softball MVP, She leads the team in hitting with an average of .500 (90-180). She is second on the team in homers with 16 and RBI with 55. Miller also leads the team in slugging percentage with a mark of .961 and runs scored with 56. She has been named the PSAC Player of the Week four times and was the national Player of the Week once. She recently had a streak of consecutive hits snapped at 14, three shy of the Division II record. For her career, with still a year to play, Miller is Bloomsburg's and the PSAC's all-time leader in career homers with 38 and holds the school and PSAC records for extra-base hits in a season with 44 and career with 97. She also holds the school and PSAC records for total bases in a season with 173 and is closing in on several other marks. She is a former PSAC Rookie of the Year.

Dreistadt moved into the leadoff spot for the Huskies in 2000 and came up with a .355 (66-186) batting average. Her 12 triples are a new Bloomsburg single-season record and, combined with 10 from her three previous seasons, have moved her into a tie for the school's all-time career mark.

Dreistadt hit safely in 30 of the first 34 games of the 2000 season, including streaks of five, seven (twice) and eight games. In an April 29 doubleheader with West Chester, she was 4-7, with four RBI and four runs scored. She hit for the cycle over the two games, getting a double, triple, and home run in game one, and a single in the second game.

She had made one error all season in centerfield. This is Dreistadt's second consecutive selection to the All-PSAC first team and first to the All-Region first team.

Sterner blossomed into the Huskies top home run hitter in 2000 setting a school single-season record with 18. She is also closing in on the single-season record for runs batted in (she has 62 with the record being 66). Sterner has 20 multi-hit games in 2000, including seven three-hit games. She has come on strong in the latter half of the season,

hitting safely in13 of the last 15 games with a .458 (22-48) average during the span.

Sterner has 17 multiple-RBI games in 2000, including six three-RBI, two four-RBI, and one five-RBI game. In an April 8 doubleheader with Millersville, she was 5-7 with eight RBI and four runs scored. She had two homers and a triple over the two games. In 72 opportunities, Sterner hit .375 with runners in scoring position. She hit a solo home run to give Bloomsburg a 1-0 win over California (PA) in the PSAC playoffs.

Cooper became the Huskies' number one pitcher in 2000 and responded with a 25-4 record and a 1.75 ERA. She had nine shutouts on the season, including a 1-0 win over Millersville where she gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Cooper struck out five or more in 12 games this season and has 130 total for the year.

Cooper pitched a five-inning no-hitter on March 6 against Columbia Union and had a seven-inning one-hitter against Mansfield on April 3.

She had her only two at-bats of the season in a March 11 game with South Dakota and contributed a single, an RBI, and a run scored.

Heath, a senior second baseman, is hitting .329 for the year with one homer and 15 RBI. Heath is the consummate number two-hitter with team-highs in walks and sacrifices with 14 each. Heath is also second in runs scored with 49 and in doubles with 19 and is fourth in hits with 55. This is her third selection to the All-PSAC team (first team in 1997, second in 1998). She was named the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region team during the NCAA championships.

Pepper, a freshman first baseman, has stepped into the Huskies lineup and done a remarkable job replacing perennial all-conference selection Marcie Hickey. In 46 games this season, Pepper hit .318 with three homers and 24 RBI. She had nine doubles, one triple and scored 23 runs. Her fielding was solid, posting a mark of .980 for the season, just six errors in 312 chances.

Bertatie earned her first selection to the All-PSAC team this season. Previously named the Huskies' Senior Scholar-Athlete Award Bertatie is hitting is .280 (40-143) with two homers and 13 RBI. She also has six doubles, two triples and has scored 17 runs. She has a .918 fielding percentage and has supplied the team with senior leadership throughout the season. Bertatie will graduate as the top student in the School of Business later this week and has been a past selection to the GTE/CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic Team. She also participated in the 1999 NCAA Leadership Conference, is a member of Who's Who and is a United States Achievement All-Scholar. Bertatie is also a four-time member of the Bloomsburg Student-Athlete Honor Roll and a three-time member of the PSAC Student-Athlete team.

In the 2000 season Anderson had the unenviable task of stepping in to the hole left by three-time

All-American and two-time Division II Catcher of the Year Megan Hunsinger. She hit .294 (42-143) on the season with one homer and 23 RBI. In late March/early April, Anderson had an eight-game hit streak where she was 12-21 (.571) with six doubles, four RBI and four runs scored. In an April 24 doubleheader with Shippensburg, she was 3-5 with a double and three RBI. In the field, Anderson has committed just two errors in 53 games this season.

Bloomsburg, 43-9-1, will enter NCAA regional championship action this Friday and Saturday at California (PA) University. The Huskies are making a record 18th consecutive appearance in the championships.

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