NAC Announces Softball Postseason Awards

AURORA, Ill. May 10, 2007 - The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) announced the 2007 softball All-Conference team and postseason awards. Spartans junior third baseman Dana Cebular (Brookfield, IL/Riverside-Brookfield H.S.) was named the 2007 NAC Softball Player of the Year and AU Head Coach Mike McKenzie was named Coach of the Year.

The Aurora University women’s softball team, inaugural conference and tournament champions, placed five players on the NAC All-Conference team and one on the NAC All-Rookie team. Joining Cebular as All-Conference were sophomore outfielder Nikki Veen (Oak Lawn, IL/Oak Lawn H.S.), sophomore designated player Abby Young (Elgin, IL/Hampshire H.S.), senior pitcher Brittany Butcher (St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East H.S.) and sophomore pitcher Nicole Capone (Brookfield, IL/Lyons Township H.S.) all were named All-Conference by the NAC women’s softball coaches, while freshman pitcher Anna Snyder (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake H.S.) was named to the NAC All-Rookie team.

McKenzie captured his third consecutive Coach of the Year award, the previous two came in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, after he led the Spartans to their fourth straight conference championship (the other three in the NIIC). In his four seasons at AU, McKenzie has compiled a 142-36-2 overall record. His Spartans were 21-1 in the NAC this season and 3-0 in the NAC tournament.

Cebular continued to rewrite the Spartan record books. She extended her own career record with 27 home runs after having set the single-season record with 11 home runs as a freshman. This season she hit .483 with 16 doubles, seven triples, 10 home runs, 60 runs scored and 38 runs batted in. Cebular had a .897 slugging percentage with a .531 on-base percentage and a .917 fielding percentage at the hot corner. With the 16 doubles, she tied the career mark with 39 (previously held by Melissa Ivlow from 1987-1991). The 60 runs scored is a new single-season record and with 130 total bases on the season, she broke her own record of 105.

Veen finished with a .383 average with a team high 40 runs batted in, 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 32 runs scored. She had a .570 slugging percentage and .445 on-base percentage. Young, a designated player who saw significant time as a first-baseman for the Spartans, hit .424 with seven doubles, four home runs, 39 runs batted in and 28 runs scored. She had a .568 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage.

Butcher led the talented Spartan pitching staff in her senior season. She finished the season with a 13-3 record and a 1.51 earned run average. She had 20 appearances with 18 starts, seven complete games and one save. In her 95-2/3 innings pitched, she had 66 strikeouts and opponents hit .236 against her. Capone finished the season with a 15-4 record and a 2.35 earned run average. She had 21 starts with 11 complete games. In 107-1/3 innings pitched, she had 64 strikeouts and opponents hit .232 against her. The newcomer to the staff, Snyder finished the season with a 7-1 record and a 0.73 earned run average. She had 18 appearances with four starts and one complete game. In her 49 innings pitched, she had 69 strikeouts and opponents hit .181 against her.

The Spartan women finished the season with a 35-8 overall record and 21-1 in the NAC and were the NAC regular season and tournament champions.

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