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BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University softball player Erica Miller (Williamsport/Williamsport) has been the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Athlete of the Year in voting by the league's coaches. It is the third straight Miller has been given the honor as the division's top player.

In addition, freshman pitcher Amber Cowher (Williamsport/Williamsport) was named the PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year, while coach Jan Hutchinson earned Coach of the Year honors.

Joining Miller as first team All-PSAC selections are third baseman Vanessa Sterner (Bloomsburg/Bloomsburg), outfielder Lisa Mull (Port Carbon/Pottsville), catcher Liza Pepper (Cumbola/Pottsville), outfield Jessica Shnyder (Milton/Milton) and Cowher.

Named second team All-PSAC were first baseman Christi McHale (Frankford, DE/Indian River), outfielder Alison Necci (Milton/Milton) and pitcher Kerri Cooper (Markham, Ont/Markham District).

Miller, who missed the PSAC playoffs due to a hamstring injury, leads the PSAC in average at .484, homers with 14, doubles with 19 and in runs batted in per game (44 in 41 games). The All-American shortstop also has a .977 slugging percentage and has scored a team-high 52 runs. Earlier this year she had a 29-game hitting streak, fifth longest in division.

For her career Miller, named Bloomsburg's Female Athlete of the Year and softball MVP, is school's all-time leader in hits with 301, doubles with 69, home runs with 53, extra-base hits with 133 and total bases with 551. She is also the current all-time leader in both slugging percentage and average. In addition, Miller is nine runs scored and five RBI shy of setting new standards for Bloomsburg and the PSAC in those categories.

Cowher was named the PSAC Rookie of the Year and a first team All-PSAC selection after posting a record of 20-3 with a 1.31 ERA. She also struck out 108 batters and walked just 22 in nearly 150 innings of work. Cowher, who earned PSAC East Pitcher of the Week four times this season, clinched the PSAC championship for the Huskies by throwing an eight-inning complete game against IUP in finals.

Sterner, a second-team All-American a year ago, earned her third straight first team All-PSAC selection and first as a third baseman. For the year Sterner is hitting .358 with 12 homers and 36 RBI. She also has 11 doubles and is second in runs scored with 50. A year ago Sterner set PSAC and Bloomsburg marks for homers in a season with 18 and runs batted in with 68.

Mull, a junior, earns her first All-PSAC selection this season. For the year she is second on the team in hitting with a .405 average, four homers and 28 RBI. She has 29 runs to go with nine doubles and three triples. Earlier this season Mull had a 20-game hitting streak for the Huskies. During the week of April 2-8, Mull hit .700 to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week honors. In six games, Mull was 14-20 with a double, two triples and two home runs. She also scored five and drove in seven during the week.

Pepper, a sophomore, was named first team All-PSAC after earning second team honors last year as a first baseman. For the year, Pepper is batting .352 with 26 RBI. She also has 12 doubles and has scored 18 runs. It was her hit in the bottom of the eighth inning of the championship game against IUP that started the game-winning rally for the Huskies.

As a freshman, Pepper was named to the NCAA championship All-Tournament team after hitting .385 with a homer and three RBI.

Shnyder, a freshman, is batting .394 for the season with six homers and 39 RBI. Shnyder is second on the Huskies in hits with 61, is third in runs scored with 40 and also has nine doubles and is tied for the team-high in triples with four. Shnyder was also named PSAC East Player of the Week in consecutive weeks in April.

McHale, a junior, is an All-PSAC selection for the first time. For the season, McHale is hitting .256 with six homers and 24 RBI. She also has eight doubles and one triple for the Huskies. It was her three-run in the bottom of the sixth inning which lifted Bloomsburg to a win over Kutztown in a game that clinched the PSAC East title for Bloomsburg.

Necci, a sophomore, is also an All-PSAC selection for the first time. Necci moved into the starting lineup at the beginning of the season as the team's cleanup hitter and has stayed there from day one. For the year she is hitting .403 with two homers and 35 RBI. She is third on the team in hits with 54, while banging out nine doubles and two triples. Necci hit a two-run homer against in the PSAC semi-finals last weekend.

Cooper, a junior, was a first team All-PSAC selection a year ago. This season Cooper is 19-2 with a 1.75 ERA. She also has 73 strikeouts and 38 walks in 140 innings of work. She was named MVP of the PSAC championships last weekend after getting a win and a save in two games and not allowing any runs in 10 innings of work.

Hutchinson, in her 24th season as softball coach, has a lifetime record of 845-277-1. Overall, between softball and field hockey, she has a career record of 1,250-228-21. Hutchinson has helped the Huskies dominate the PSAC winning 13 of the last 19 conference titles. On a national level, Hutchinson has guided the Huskies to every national championship tournament since 1981, twice finishing as runner-up to go with three, third-palace finishes and a fourth place finish.

In June of 2000, the Bloomsburg University Council of Trustees honored Hutchinson by naming the softball field in her honor.

Bloomsburg 39-5, will host the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championship Friday and Saturday, May 11-12 at Jan Hutchinson Field.