For Immediate Release

eureka, illinois

May 10, 2008

2008 softball team awards announced at banquet

Eureka College softball coach Karen Sweitzer announced her team awards for the 2008 season at the
E-Tribe Softball Banquet Wednesday night.  Cathy Kalnicky (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield) and Abby Segal (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) were named Co-MVPs, with Molly Wolber (Rock Falls, Ill./HS) picking up Best Newcomer honors.

Kalnicky enjoyed one of the best sophomore campaigns in EC softball history, leading the team with a .443 batting average, 43 hits, 14 doubles, four home runs, 31 runs batted in, .732 slugging percentage and .491 on base percentage.  In St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, Kalnicky ranked fourth in doubles and on base percentage, fifth in batting average and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference.  She started all 31 games for the Red Devils at three different positions.  She primarily played catcher in the second half of the year, recording a sparkling .994 fielding percentage for the season and hitting .500 in 19 games played in April.  Now with seven career home runs, she holds the Eureka career record for homers.

Segal led the Eureka team with a 10-5 record, 2.05 ERA, 12 complete games, four shutouts, 106 innings pitched and 93 strikeouts.  She was named Second Team All-Conference after ranking third in opposing batting average, fourth in strikeouts and fifth in wins in SLIAC play.  A junior transfer from Lincoln College, Segal set a school record by allowing a stingy .192 batting average for the season.  She also helped the Red Devils set a single season record with 137 strikeouts.  She collected two SLIAC Pitcher of the Week awards and tossed a perfect game versus Lincoln Christian on April 23.

Wolber was a consistent offensive force for EC this season despite it being her first in college.  She batted .323 with 21 runs, four doubles, 10 RBI, eight stolen bases, 12 walks and only 11 strikeouts in 96 at bats.  Wolber started all 31 games in the outfield, recording a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage as the Red Devils set a team record with a .954 fielding percentage on the year.  She earned SLIAC Hitter of the Week honors March 24-30 and was one of just three freshmen to earn first or second team All-SLIAC recognition.

The Red Devils finished the season 15-16 overall and 6-8 in the SLIAC for a fifth place finish.

Eureka College athletic banquets are sponsored by the Eureka athletic department in conjunction with
E-Tribe.  Each year, there are banquets for fall, winter and spring sports.  The next scheduled banquet is the Baseball Team Banquet set for Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 pm.

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For More Information Contact:

Brian Sullivan
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bsullivan@eureka.edu