Head/Underwood named MIAA Athletes of Week

April 6 , 2004

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Two Washburn athletes were named Wilson/MIAA Athletes of the Week by the conference Tuesday night. Baseball shortstop Jerad Head won the Wilson/MIAA Baseball Hitter of the Week award, while women’s tennis player Erin Underwood earned Wilson/MIAA Tennis Athlete of the Week.

Head, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound sophomore from Topeka, Kan., hit .444 (12-of-27) with two home runs, seven RBI and 11 runs scored while going 9-for-9 on the base paths to help the Ichabods go 5-2 in conference action and move into fourth place in the MIAA standings.

He had a single and a homer in WU's 10-run first inning during the second game of its doubleheader with Missouri-Rolla Saturday (April 3). Head added a homer in the third inning to double his career total entering the game, and finished 3-for-4 with a stolen base as Washburn won, 11-4.

Head had three more steals in game one of the UMR twin bill, going 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored in the 14-11 Ichabod victory. He also was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in WU's 8-5 win at Truman Thursday (April 1).

Head, who is 16-of-16 stealing bases this season, is a graduate of Hayden High School.

Underwood, a 5-foot-7 senior from Topeka, Kan., was 3-0 in No. 1 singles and 3-0 with partner Lindsay Sullivan in No. 1 doubles for the Lady Blues last week.

She handed Mary Pankiewicz a 6-3, 6-3 setback as WU blanked Western, 9-0, on March 30.

Underwood picked up a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Truman's Melissa Dudak, after she and Sullivan pulled out a 9-8 doubles win as the Lady Blues downed the Bulldogs, 6-3, on Saturday (April 3). Later in the day, Underwood double-bageled Liz Retzlaff of Minnesota State-Mankato as WU prevailed, 9-0.

Underwood, now 13-2 in singles and 12-3 in doubles this season, is a graduate of Washburn Rural High School.