Two Beavers named All-HCAC

BLUFFTON, Ohio - Two Bluffton University softball players were recently honored by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference coaches for their play on the diamond this spring. Sophomore Lindsey Miller (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) and freshman Katie Ammons (Findlay/Findlay) were both named All-HCAC for their efforts in 2007.

Miller led the Beavers with a .398 batting average, starting 30 of Bluffton's 31 games. The sophomore captain suffered a knee injury in October that was to keep her out of the lineup for the entire season, but she was determined to play and when the Beavers opened their 2007 campaign in March, she was back in the starting lineup. Miller started slowly; however, she finished the year with a team-high .557 slugging percentage thanks to eight doubles and two round-trippers. The Beavers' second baseman collected 35 hits in 88 at-bats, knocked in 15 runs and scored nine times. Her on-base percentage of .438 was the third-highest on the team and she drew seven walks.

In her first year of collegiate softball, Ammons led Bluffton with a .466 on-base percentage, setting the table for a team that batted .291 for the year, over 50 points higher than the 2006 squad. The sensational center fielder, who was voted Most Valuable Player by her teammates, hit .394 for the year, 41-of-104 at the plate. She led the team with 25 runs scored and tied the school-record with 20 stolen bases in only 23 attempts. Ammons drove in 11 runs and finished the season with 14 walks, six doubles and two triples. Spectacular in the field, she made no errors and recorded one assist for the Beavers.

The Beavers ended their first season under Head Coach Heather Bruder with a 14-17 overall record, including a 9-6 mark in the HCAC, qualifying for the first conference tournament that was limited to four teams. Bluffton finished fourth during the regular season and narrowly missed out on the second day of the HCAC tournament after a heartbreaking loss to Transylvania, 9-8, in 10 innings.

-BEAVERS-