IWU Sports

24 May 2004

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the second straight season, junior centerfielder Brynn Hasse has been selected as the "Most Valuable Player" for the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team.

Hasse (Chillicothe, IVC HS), who was chosen as a second team Division III All-American this spring after being chosen as IWU’s first-ever first team All-American in 2003, broke her own school record with a .475 batting average. She led the Titans in hits (58), runs (33), triples (4), total bases (72), stolen bases (16), slugging percentage (.590) and on-base percentage (.533).

After three seasons, Hasse has 167 career hits, merely 15 short of eclipsing the school record of 181, set by Jenny Schertz from 1994-97. Her 99 runs scored are also closing in on the record of 119 held by Jackie Kloiber (1997-00).

Hasse has 15 career triples, behind the school mark of 21, and her .422 career average is the best at IWU of any player with 200 or more at bats, easily topping the .386 mark of Jenny Miller (1992-95).

In other team awards, freshman Molly Coers (Manito, Midwest Central HS) was chosen as the team's "Most Improved Player" and sophomore Jenny Freeman (Tremont HS) won the "Gwen Meyer Award."

Coers, who was a shortstop and designated hitter, was a pleasant surprise in her first collegiate season, batting .402 with 37 hits, all singles. She scored 21 bases and had 10 steals.

Freeman collected one hit in nine at bats and played in eight games. The "Gwen Meyer Award" is given to the player who gives 100 percent, shows support of the team and is self-motivated. The award was established in 1986 to honor the memory of Meyer, IWU's most valuable softball player in 1984, who died of cancer.

Hasse was the Titans’ co-MVP in 2003 with pitcher Kelly Murray (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS), who closed out her career as IWU’s winningest pitcher with 55 victories. Murray is the school pitching leader in earned run average (1.35), appearances (84) and innings (494) and is second in strikeouts (334).

Senior second baseman Jamie Palmer (Knoxville HS) tied a school season record with 15 doubles and finished her career with 36 in 146 games, second only to Sara Powers with 41 in 174 games from 1998-2001.

With one season left, junior third baseman Colleen Schuster (Joliet HS) ranks No. 11 all-time at IWU in hits (135) and is No. 7 in both doubles (25) and runs batted in (83).

Senior outfielder Nicole Williams (Park Forest, Crete-Monee HS) ended her career as IWU’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 88 and was successful on eight of 11 attempts this spring. She is also the Titans’ single season record-holder with 30 steals, tied with Kelly Kramer in 1989.

The Titans finished 31-10, marking the fifth straight season and the eighth time in 14 years with 30 or more victories, but failed to qualify for the NCAA Division III tournament, ending a string of four straight tournament appearances. IWU shared the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season title.

Third-year head coach Beth Williams awarded letters to 17 players, including 11 who will return for next season. They are, with hometowns and high schools:

SENIORS – Lisa Krapf (Monee, Peotone HS); Kat Mason (Galesburg HS); Kelly Murray (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS); Jamie Palmer (Knoxville HS); Nicole Reed (Normal, West HS); Nicole Williams (Park Forest, Crete-Monee HS).

JUNIORS - Brynn Hasse (Chillicothe, IVC HS); Ashley Patten (Dwight HS); Alesia Perry (Yorkville HS); Colleen Schuster (Joliet HS).

SOPHOMORES - Michelle Bradley (Oak Brook, Downers Grove North HS); Katie Frawley (Oswego, N.Y., HS); Jenny Freeman (Tremont HS); Natalie Hackett (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way Central HS).

FRESHMEN – Molly Coers (Manito, Midwest Central HS); Erin Cruz (Des Plaines, Maine West HS); Laura Johnson (Morton HS).

Hasse Named IWU's Softball "MVP"