Huske, Webb receive 1st team all-MIAA honors

May 9, 2005
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The Washburn Lady Blues had two softball players named to the MIAA First team that was released today after a vote of the conference's coaches. Junior catcher Kala Huske and sophomore outfielder Ashley Webb were both named to the first team. Freshman first basemen Brooke DeVader was the lone Lady Blue named to the second team. Name honorable mention all-MIAA were freshman shortstop Amanda Carey, freshman outfielder Mandy Tarbutton and senior utility player Jackie Sells.

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season and tournament champion Emporia State University Lady Hornets placed five players on the All-MIAA first-team as voted by the conference's coaches.

Junior RHP Melissa Stevens, who was one of two unanimous selections to the first team and one of four repeat first-teamers from 2004, was selected as the conference's Most Valuable Player. She earned the decision in nearly half of the MIAA-record-tying total of wins by ESU (52-11, 14-4 MIAA), going 25-4 with a league-leading 0.52 ERA, 12 shutouts and 11.74 strikeouts per seven innings.

Stevens' teammates on the first team include one other repeat choice from 2004 in senior 2B Kayla Hubbard (.313, 3 HR, 24 RBI). She is among the MIAA leaders in runs scored (0.79 per game -- 2nd), stolen bases (0.44 per game -- 5th) and hits (1.07 per game -- 8th).

Other ESU players included junior SS Bree Beattie (.358, 12 HR, 49 RBI), sophomore 3B Megan Davison (.386, 11 HR, 63 RBI) and sophomore OF Morgan Viola (.333, 9 HR, 33). Beattie hit .533 (8-of-15) in the MIAA Postseason Tournament to lead the Lady Hornets.

Davison is fourth in the MIAA in batting and slugging percentage (.660), and third in hits (1.21 per game). Viola leads the MIAA in stolen bases (36 -- 0.57 per game) and has a school-record 72 swipes for her career.

The Griffons of Missouri Western (47-18, 11-7 MIAA) had three players make the first team -- led by repeat first-team selection and the other unanimous choice in junior 1B Amy Beverly (.427, 16 HR, 67 RBI).

Beverly, currently leading the conference in batting average and slugging (.784), is close to single-season MIAA marks for hits (91 -- the record is 92) home runs (16 -- the record is 18) and RBI (67 -- the record is 71).

She was joined by the MIAA co-leader in pitching victories, sophomore RHP Dana Wertz (25-11, 2.13 ERA), and junior UT Kara Unger (.368, 16 HR, 41 RBI, 11-4, 2.33 ERA).

Freshman of the Year honors went to OF Tera Swartslander (.397, 1 HR, 31 RBI) of Pittsburg State (37-26, 12-6 MIAA) She leads the conference in triples (5 -- 0.08 per game) and led the MIAA for a good portion of the season in hitting. Swartslander is currently third in the conference behind Beverly and her teammate, junior DP Emily Gastineau (.401, 11 HR, 62 RBI) in the batting race.

Both Swartslander and Gastineau were first-team selections from the Gorillas.

Washburn (30-26, 5- 13 MIAA) joined PSU with two first-team choices in junior C Kala Huske (.343, 5 HR, 29 RBI) and sophomore OF Ashley Webb (.316, 2 HR, 14 RBI).

The only other repeat selection from the 2004 first-team is senior OF Stephanie Cepicky (.281, 0 HR, 19 RBI) of MIAA Postseason Tournament runner-up Truman (34-21, 12-6 MIAA). She is among conference leaders in stolen bases (0.48 per game -- 3rd) and run scored (0.74 per game -- 5th).

ESU head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt was the choice of her peers as Wilson®/MIAA Coach of the Year. It is the second time she has been so honored, after sharing the award in 2003 with UMR's Dave Burwell.

First Team (four outfielders selected due to a tie in voting)
*+Melissa Stevens, ESU P 5-5 Jr. Lenexa, Kan.
Dana Wertz, MWSC P 5-9 So. Lincoln, Neb.
Kala Huske, WU C 5-5 Jr. Overland Park, Kan.
*+Amy Beverly, MWSC 1B 5-9 Jr. Ankeny, Iowa
+Kayla Hubbard, ESU 2B 5-8 Sr. Wichita, Kan.
Bree Beattie, ESU SS 5-6 Jr. Olathe, Kan.
Megan Davison, ESU 3B 5-7 So. Derby, Kan.
++Stephanie Cepicky, TSU OF 5-5 Sr. St. Louis, Mo.
Tera Swartslander, PSU OF 5-8 Fr. Broken Arrow, Okla.
Morgan Viola, ESU OF 5-7 So. McPherson, Kan.
Ashley Webb, WU OF 5-11 So. Prairie Village, Kan.
Emily Gastineau, PSU DP 6-0 Jr. Clinton, Okla.
Kara Unger, MWSC UT 5-7 Jr. Missouri Valley, Iowa

*=unanimous choice.
+=First-team All-MIAA choice in 2004
++=First-team All-MIAA in 2003 and 2004

Second Team
Loni Wedemeier, TSU P 5-7 Jr. Bowling Green, Mo.
Candice Wilburn, UMR P 5-9 Sr. Lyndon, Kan.
Ashley Weiss, UMR C 5-8 Jr. Cottonwood Falls, Kan.
Brooke DeVader, WU 1B 5-8 Fr. St. Marys, Kan.
Katy John, NWMSU 2B 5-5 Jr. Blue Springs, Mo.
Alese Woolard, MSSU SS 5-5 Sr. Claremore, Okla.
Ashley Pride, NWMSU 3B 5-9 So. Ravenwood, Mo.
Janet Bembnister, TSU OF 5-5 So. Moriss, Ill.
Jaclyn Brown, NWMSU OF 5-4 So. St. Joseph, Mo.
Kym Caskey, CMSU OF 5-7 Jr. McLoud, Okla.
Courtney Strubel, TSU DP 5-6 Sr. Olathe, Kan.
Hallie Blackney, TSU UT 5-6 Fr. Maryville, Mo.

Honorable Mention
Shelly MacDonald, NWMSU P 5-9 Sr. Lawson, Mo.
Stephanie Martin, SBU P 5-7 Fr. St. Joseph, Mo.
Nikki Mayer, TSU P 5-5 Jr. St. Peters, Mo.
Lindsey Predovich, MWSC P 5-8 So. Virginia, Minn.
Lauren Young, CMSU P 5-8 So. Lenexa, Kan.
Mary Barrow, MSSU C 5-5 Sr. Muskogee, Okla.
Heather Maggard, UMR 1B 5-6 Jr. Blue Springs, Mo.
Katie Noski, TSU 1B 5-7 Fr. Columbia, Ill.
Shannon Benash, MWSC 2B 5-7 Jr. Beatrice, Neb.
Kandi Wieberg, UMR 2B 5-4 Fr. St. Elizabeth, Mo.
Amanda Carey, WU SS 5-8 Fr. Topeka, Kan.
Wendy Salgo, MWSC 3B 5-6 Jr. Woodland, Calif.
Ashley Loncarich, PSU OF 5-1 Jr. Neosho, Mo.
Trish Masters, MSSU OF 5-9 Jr. Rowlett, Texas
Mary Nguyen, SBU OF 5-3 So. Republic, Mo.
Lindsey Rizzuti, MWSC OF 5-4 So. Clive, Iowa
Mandy Tarbutton, WU OF 5-7 Fr. Maple Hill, Kan.
J.T. Taylor, MSSU OF 4-11 Fr. Springfield, Mo.
Jessie Wiard, ESU OF 5-4 Fr. Overland Park, Kan.
Holly Weinberg, UMR DP 5-7 Fr. St. Louis, Mo.
Megan Bax, CMSU UT 5-5 Jr. Jefferson City, Mo.
Jackie Sells, WU UT 5-3 Sr. Lee's Summit, Mo.

Most Valuable Player: Melissa Stevens, P, ESU

Freshman of the Year: Tera Swartslander, OF, PSU

Wilson® Coach of the Year: Stacy Gemeinhardt, ESU