May 14, 2002

Bloomsburg Softball Players Named All-PSAC and All-Region

BLOOMSBURG-Six members of the Bloomsburg University softball have earned post-season awards based on their performances during the 2002 season.

Named first team All-PSAC and first team All Mid-Atlantic Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) were Kerri Cooper (Markham, Ont/Markham District); Liza Pepper (Cumbola/Pottsville); Lisa Mull (Port Carbon/Pottsville) and Jess Shnyder (Milton/Milton).

Cooper was also honored by the PSAC as the Eastern Division Athlete of the Year, while all five players will now on to the national ballot for consideration as All-Americans. The NFCA All-American team will be announced Wednesday night at the banquet prior to the start of the national championship tournament.

Also named first team All-PSAC was Steph Levonick (Osceola Mills/Philipsburg) who was selected as a utility player.

Earning second team All-PSAC and second team All Mid-Atlantic Region from the NFCA was Amber Cowher (Williamsport/Williamsport).

Cooper's honor as Athlete of the Year capped off a big year for the senior pitcher. During the 2002 season Cooper tossed her first career perfect game and set a career-high for strikeouts in a game with 11 while posting a record of 17-3 with a 1.19 ERA. Cooper finished with 122 K's in 123.1 innings of work. She threw a five-inning perfect game against West Chester on April 10th and had a total of five shutouts for the year. Three times during the season she was named the PSAC Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week.

Pepper, a first baseman, is making her first appearance as both a first team All-PSAC and All NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region performer. This season Pepper is hitting .374 with four homers and 25 RBI. Pepper is third on the team in hits with 55 and is tied for the team-lead in walks with 11. It was her bases loaded single which scored the only runs of the game in the semifinals of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championships against California (PA).

Mull, a senior outfielder, is second on the Huskies in hitting at .408 with five homers and 35 RBI. She is also second in hits with 58, runs scored with 31 and has a team-high 14 doubles. In the field she is perfect this season with no errors in 54 chances. Mull came up big for the Huskies in the NCAA regionals hitting a homer and driving in eight runs. In the title game against Lock Haven, it was her three-run homer, which broke open a close game and propelled the Huskies to the victory.

Shnyder, a sophomore outfielder, leads the Huskies in several offensive categories this season. She tops the team in batting average with a mark of .424; homers with 11; RBI with 40; hits with 70; runs scored with 53; triples with 5 and is tied for the team lead in walks with 11. In eight post-season games Shnyder is hitting .556 with four homers and 10 RBI. Three times in the eight contests this post-season she has led off the game with a homer giving the Huskies an early advantage. In the post-season Shnyder's slugging percentage is 1.222.

Levonick, a freshman, was named first team All-PSAC as a utility player having played at short, third and in the outfield this season for the Huskies. Late in the year she took over at shortstop and has stayed there ever since. For the year she is batting .374 with 1 homer and 16 RBI. She also has scored 24 runs and banged out five doubles and two triples.

Cowher, a sophomore, came on strong for the Huskies toward the end of the season and earned MVP honors of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament. For the year, Cowher is 14-2 with a 1.12 ERA. In 100.1 innings Cowher has fanned 106 and allowed just 21 walks. In the NCAA regional tournament Cowher was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 24 strikeouts in just 16 2/3 innings of work. She also allowed just one walk and only five hits. She missed by one out of pitching a no-hitter in the semifinals against California, settling for a one-hitter.

Bloomsburg, 42-6, won both the PSAC championship and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championship this season. The Huskies will face Kennesaw (GA) State in the first round of the NCAA championship round in Salem, VA Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. The NCAA regional title was the ninth in school history for Bloomsburg and coach Jan Hutchinson. The Huskies are looking for their first-ever Division II national title having lost in the title game in both 1991 and 1995.

Softball (2002)  Eastern Division First Team

 

Pos

 

University

Class

Hometown/High School

1B

Liza Pepper

Bloomsburg

Jr

Cumbola/Pottsville

2B

Beth Rudai

Shippensburg

Fr

Glen Mills/University

3B

Sandy Smith

Shippensburg

Sr

Pottstown/Owen J. Roberts

C

Brenna Eck

Shippensburg

So

Cogan Station/Williamsport

OF

Jamie Dacey

Shippensburg

Fr

Langhorne/Archbishop Wood

OF

Lisa Mull

Bloomsburg

Sr

Port Carbon/Pottsville

OF

Jessica Shnyder

Bloomsburg

So

Milton/Milton

DP

Courtney Memmo

Kutztown

Sr

Sinking Spring/Wilson

Util

Stephanie Levonick

Bloomsburg

Fr

Osceola Mills/Philipsburg-Osceola

Pitcher

Kerri Cooper

Bloomsburg

Sr

Markham, Ontario/Markham Dist.

Pitcher

Laura Harris

Millersville

Fr

Watsontown/Warrior Run

Athlete of the Year - Kerri Cooper, Bloomsburg

Rookie of the Year - Jamie Dacey, Shippensburg

Coach of the Year - Bob Brookens, Shippensburg

Eastern Division Second Team

 

Pos

 

University

Class

Hometown/High School

1B

Steph Reavy

Shippensburg

So

Swarthmore/Ridley

2B

Deana Geist

East Stroudsburg

Sr

Hegins/Tri Valley

3B

Jes Ricker

Mansfield

Jr

Shillington/Governor Mifflin

C

Erika Lee

East Stroudsburg

Jr

Glenside/Abington

OF

Liz Corr

Shippensburg

Fr

Doylestown/Central Bucks West

OF

Andrea Curwood

Millersville

So

Chambersburg/Chambersburg

OF

Kim Murphy

Kutztown

So

Feasterville/Neshaminy

DP

Alison Tagilaferri

Mansfield

Fr

Linden/Jersey Shore

Util

Sarah Costa

Shippensburg

Fr

Laurel, Md./Atholton

Pitcher

Amber Cowher

Bloomsburg

So

Williamsport/Williamsport

Pitcher

Kellie Evans

Kutztown

Jr

Glenn Burnie, Md./North County

NFCA All-Region Teams




MID-ATLANTIC REGION -- FIRST TEAM
Name                        Position               School
Kerri Cooper                Pitcher                Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Laura Harris                Pitcher                Millersville (Pa.)
Amber Riegel                Pitcher                California (Pa.)
Erika Lee                   Catcher                East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
Janet Paterson              Catcher                Lock Haven (Pa.)
Liza Pepper                 First Base             Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Lynnette Murray             Second Base            Lock Haven (Pa.)
Kim Miller                  Third Base             California (Pa.)
Kristin Heslop              Shortstop              California (Pa.)
Jaime Dacey                 Outfield               Shippensburg (Pa.)
Lisa Mull                   Outfield               Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Jess Shnyder                Outfield               Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Kelli Evans                 Utility                Kutztown (Pa.)
Daysha Grimes               Designated Player      California (Pa.)

MID-ATLANTIC REGION -- SECOND TEAM
Name                        Position               School
Nicole Brunt                Pitcher                Shippensburg (Pa.)
Amber Cowher                Pitcher                Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Molly Shuey                 Pitcher                Lock Haven (Pa.)
Stephanie Reavey            First Base             Shippensburg (Pa.)
Bethany Rudai               Second Base            Shippensburg (Pa.)
Sandra Smith                Third Base             Shippensburg (Pa.)
Andrea Curwood              Outfield               Millersville (Pa.)
Kim Murphy                  Outfield               Kutztown (Pa.)
Julie Wallace               Outfield               California (Pa.)
Melissa Brooks              Utility                California (Pa.)
Courtney Memmo              Designated Player      Kutztown (Pa.)