NAC Announces Softball Postseason Awards

AURORA, Ill. May 6, 2008 - The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) announced the 2008 softball All-Conference Team and postseason awards. Spartans senior third baseman Dana Cebular (Brookfield, IL/Riverside-Brookfield H.S.) was named the 2008 NAC Softball Player of the Year, sophomore pitcher Anna Snyder (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake H.S.) was named 2008 NAC Softball Pitcher of the Year and AU Head Coach Mike McKenzie was named Coach of the Year.

The Aurora University women’s softball team, regular season and tournament champions for the second consecutive season, placed four players on the NAC All-Conference First-Team, one player on the NAC All-Conference Second-Team and two players on the NAC All-Rookie Team. Joining Cebular and Snyder as First-Team All-Conference were junior outfielder Nikki Veen (Oak Lawn, IL/Oak Lawn H.S.) and freshman outfielder Shannon Starr (Itasca, IL/Lake Park H.S.), while junior catcher Abby Young (Elgin, IL/Hampshire H.S.) was named Second-Team All-Conference and Starr and fellow freshman outfielder Gabby Smith (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) were named to the NAC All-Rookie Team.

McKenzie captured his fourth consecutive Coach of the Year award, back-to-back in the NAC and the previous two came in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, after he led the Spartans to their fifth straight conference championship (the other three in the NIIC). In his five seasons at AU, McKenzie has compiled a 177-42-2 overall record. His Spartans were 23-1 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 37 home runs after having set the single-season record with 11 home runs as a freshman (2005). This season she is hitting .533 with five doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 53 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. Cebular has a .867 slugging percentage with a .595 on-base percentage and a .962 fielding percentage at the hot corner. She holds career records in doubles (44), hits (252), singles (154), at bats (589), runs batted in (154) and games played/started (188). While also holding single season records in home runs (11 in 2005), total bases (130 in 2007), runs scored (60 in 2007) and games played/started (49 in 2006).

Snyder has a 22-3 record with four saves, a 1.39 earned run average and 212 strikeouts in 136 innings pitched. Oponents are hitting .161 against her, she has 14 complete games with one no-hitter and five shutouts. In NAC action, Snyder was 14-0 with a 0.85 earned run average and three saves.

Veen has a .424 average with 41 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs and 24 runs batted in. She has a .576 slugging percentage and .486 on-base percentage. Starr is hitting .455 with a team high 43 runs batted in, 29 runs scored, eight doubles, three triples and four home runs. She has a .652 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage.

Young, a catcher, hit .348 with three doubles, one home run, 28 runs batted in and 24 runs scored. She has a .393 slugging percentage and a .405 on-base percentage.

The newcomer along with Starr, freshman outfielder Gabby Smith is hitting .286 with 16 runs batted in, 13 runs scored, three doubles, two triples and two home runs.

The Spartan women finished the regular season with a 35-6 overall record and 23-1 in the NAC and were the NAC regular season and tournament champions. Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Thursday, May 8, 2008, when they travel to the 2008 NCAA Division III Championship regional hosted by the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. AU will take on the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh with game time set for 6:00 p.m. in Eau Claire, WI.

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