May 13, 2009
URBANA, Ill. -
Senior designated player Katrina Ross and sophomore second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz earned All-Big Ten first-team honors, as announced Wednesday by the conference office. In addition, junior rightfielder Hope Howell took home second-team honors, while sophomore leftfielder Hollie Pinchback and freshman third baseman Kelley Wedel were named to the third team. The five selections ties the most in school history, matching the record set in 2004, and it is the third time that two Illini have earned a spot on the first team.
Ross had a breakout performance at the plate during her senior campaign to earn her first all-conference honor. The Graham, Wash., native hit .352 with 22 RBIs while slugging .759 in league action, tops among all DPs. Perhaps the most crucial RBI of her career came against No. 11 Northwestern, as she delivered the walk-off home run that propelled the Illini to an eventual sweep of the Wildcats. Overall in the series, Ross went 3-for-6 with five RBIs. Her seven home runs are tied for the team lead and earlier this season, the senior became the third Illini in history to hit two grand slams in the same season.
Zymkowitz has been a consistent table-setter for Illinois all season, reaching base at least once in 41 of 44 contests. Not only does her .409 average in conference play lead all second baseman, but also it ranks third among all players in the league. Additionally, the West Hills, Calif., native ranks atop the conference with 27 hits and 20 runs, including the ninth best runs per game average in the nation (1.09). She also leads conference second baseman with 13 RBIs and a .986 fielding percentage. After going 8-for-8 in the conference-opening series against Penn State, Zymkowitz became the first Illini to earn USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honors. Twice this season she earned the league's weekly honor en route to earning her the first All-Big Ten selection of her career.
For the third year in a row, Howell received all-conference second-team honors. She becomes the third Illini in history to receive a selection three times in her career, joining former third baseman Shanna Diller and first baseman Jenna Hall, with Hall as the only four-time recipient. Howell batted .354 in conference games, coming up with some clutch hits to help the Illini to their best Big Ten finish since 2004. Her two-run double in the third inning against Northwestern sparked the game-two comeback, while the Lithonia, Ga., native went 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBIs in the sweep of Wisconsin.
Pinchback also had a breakout season, leading all outfielders with 18 RBIs in conference action while batting .283 to earn her first All-Big Ten accolade. The Katy, Texas, native joined Ross with two grand slams this season, making her the fourth Illini to accomplish the feat. Pinchback delivered the slams on the biggest stage, too, both coming in conference play, including one against No. 11 Northwestern. She broke the school's single-season record with five hits in a game against No. 16 Ohio State, delivering a career-high five RBIs as well.
Wedel rounds out the selections with her first career honor. The Anaheim, Calif., native batted .305 at the hot corner, driving in 11 runs in league play. Her biggest day came against No. 16 Ohio State, where she drove in three runs and scored twice. She also contributed a pair of RBIs against Minnesota and Michigan State. Defensively, Wedel was the best among Big Ten third basemen, committing just one error in conference games for a .984 fielding percentage.
Big Ten champion Michigan led the way with six selections, while Illinois tied with Iowa and Ohio State for the second most at five apiece.
Along with the All-Big Ten honorees, senior pitcher Brooke Buzard earned Illinois' Sportsmanship Award. Buzard has been the glue of Illinois softball during her tenure, but especially this year to the young Illini squad. The Glenview, Ill., native embodies all the elements of a team player and has been a crutch for her teammates to lean on throughout the season.
