DES MOINES, Iowa - Renae Sinkler became the fourth player in Missouri Valley Conference history to repeat as Player of the Year, while Tara Oltman and Amy Baker of the Creighton softball team were each named to the MVC First-Team as voted on by league coaches and announced at the pre-tournament banquet Wednesday night in Des Moines. Oltman made school history by becoming the first student-athlete in any sport to be named first-team all-conference all four seasons of her career. Seniors Michelle Graner and Michelle Koch were both honored on the MVC Second-Team.
Sinkler, the first Bluejay to repeat as MVC Player of the Year, is enjoying the greatest offensive season in school history. The senior first baseman leads the MVC in home runs (22), RBI (55), runs scored (53), slugging percentage (.882) and on-base percentage (.508), ranking second in batting average (.382) and hits (58). Her 22 homers rank fourth in the NCAA this week and are a school and MVC record, and her 55 RBI, 53 runs scored and 134 total bases are each school records. She is the first player in league history to have 50 RBI and 50 runs scored in the same season. The slugger from Lincoln, Neb., is also the CU and MVC career record-holder with 48 home runs, and has earned first-team all-MVC honors in each of the last three seasons. Sinkler also owns the Creighton career record for total bases (378) and ranks in the career top-10 in RBI, batting average, walks, hit-by-pitch, runs and hits.
Oltman, the only three-time MVC Pitcher of the Year in league history is 28-12 with a 1.72 ERA on the season, including 16-4 with a 1.57 ERA in league play. The senior right-hander from Cortland, Neb., ranks eighth in the NCAA with 12 shutouts and ninth with 28 victories, while she leads the MVC in wins, appearances, starts, complete games, shutouts, innings, strikeouts and average against. The most statistically dominant female student-athlete in CU history, the All-American owns CU and MVC career records in wins (114), strikeouts (1,052), appearances (181), starts (137), complete games (122) and innings pitched (1,020.2).
Baker, a freshman designated player, has recorded the best offensive season by a rookie in school history. Her 14 home runs and 43 RBI are both CU freshman records. A .333 hitter, she ranks in the NCAA top-50 in home runs and slugging percentage, and her 12 doubles lead the team. The Omaha Westside product ranks in the MVC top-10 in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, doubles, RBI, average and on-base percentage. Over her final 24 games, she hit .389 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI, becoming just the sixth player in school history with 100 total bases in a season.
Graner and Koch both played out of position for much of the season, but still excelled enough to earn second-team accolades. Graner started 40 games at third base this year after starting in the outfield for her first three seasons as a Bluejay. She responded by tying a career-high with eight home runs, hitting .265 on the season, including .308 in Valley play. Of Graner's 26 RBI on the year, 19 came in conference action. The Omaha Burke product walked 37 times to set a school record this year, and owns CU career marks with 108 career bases-on-balls and 34 hit-by-pitches.
Koch earns her third all-conference honor, after earning first-team last year and second-team as a freshman in 2007. The infielder started her first 173 career games at second base, but made 23 starts at shortstop this year due to injuries to teammates. Koch is hitting a team-best .414 in her last 23 games to raise her average to .281 on the year, hitting .333 in MVC action. The Beatrice, Neb., native has a career-high 10 doubles and 26 RBI this year and leads the MVC in sacrifice bunts for the second straight season to help her set a school career record with 57 sac bunts.
Creighton (33-21, 18-7 MVC) is the No. 3 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament, which begins Thursday at Drake's Buel Field. The Jays earned one bye in the event and will play the winner of the No. 7-seed Wichita State (21-30, 10-14 MVC) and No. 6-seed Drake (32-21, 12-13 MVC) in the final game of the first day at 6:30 p.m. The winner of CU's game will advance to take on No. 2-seed Illinois State (32-16, 19-5 MVC) Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Sinkler, the first Bluejay to repeat as MVC Player of the Year, is enjoying the greatest offensive season in school history. The senior first baseman leads the MVC in home runs (22), RBI (55), runs scored (53), slugging percentage (.882) and on-base percentage (.508), ranking second in batting average (.382) and hits (58). Her 22 homers rank fourth in the NCAA this week and are a school and MVC record, and her 55 RBI, 53 runs scored and 134 total bases are each school records. She is the first player in league history to have 50 RBI and 50 runs scored in the same season. The slugger from Lincoln, Neb., is also the CU and MVC career record-holder with 48 home runs, and has earned first-team all-MVC honors in each of the last three seasons. Sinkler also owns the Creighton career record for total bases (378) and ranks in the career top-10 in RBI, batting average, walks, hit-by-pitch, runs and hits.
Oltman, the only three-time MVC Pitcher of the Year in league history is 28-12 with a 1.72 ERA on the season, including 16-4 with a 1.57 ERA in league play. The senior right-hander from Cortland, Neb., ranks eighth in the NCAA with 12 shutouts and ninth with 28 victories, while she leads the MVC in wins, appearances, starts, complete games, shutouts, innings, strikeouts and average against. The most statistically dominant female student-athlete in CU history, the All-American owns CU and MVC career records in wins (114), strikeouts (1,052), appearances (181), starts (137), complete games (122) and innings pitched (1,020.2).
Baker, a freshman designated player, has recorded the best offensive season by a rookie in school history. Her 14 home runs and 43 RBI are both CU freshman records. A .333 hitter, she ranks in the NCAA top-50 in home runs and slugging percentage, and her 12 doubles lead the team. The Omaha Westside product ranks in the MVC top-10 in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, doubles, RBI, average and on-base percentage. Over her final 24 games, she hit .389 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI, becoming just the sixth player in school history with 100 total bases in a season.
Graner and Koch both played out of position for much of the season, but still excelled enough to earn second-team accolades. Graner started 40 games at third base this year after starting in the outfield for her first three seasons as a Bluejay. She responded by tying a career-high with eight home runs, hitting .265 on the season, including .308 in Valley play. Of Graner's 26 RBI on the year, 19 came in conference action. The Omaha Burke product walked 37 times to set a school record this year, and owns CU career marks with 108 career bases-on-balls and 34 hit-by-pitches.
Koch earns her third all-conference honor, after earning first-team last year and second-team as a freshman in 2007. The infielder started her first 173 career games at second base, but made 23 starts at shortstop this year due to injuries to teammates. Koch is hitting a team-best .414 in her last 23 games to raise her average to .281 on the year, hitting .333 in MVC action. The Beatrice, Neb., native has a career-high 10 doubles and 26 RBI this year and leads the MVC in sacrifice bunts for the second straight season to help her set a school career record with 57 sac bunts.
Creighton (33-21, 18-7 MVC) is the No. 3 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament, which begins Thursday at Drake's Buel Field. The Jays earned one bye in the event and will play the winner of the No. 7-seed Wichita State (21-30, 10-14 MVC) and No. 6-seed Drake (32-21, 12-13 MVC) in the final game of the first day at 6:30 p.m. The winner of CU's game will advance to take on No. 2-seed Illinois State (32-16, 19-5 MVC) Friday at 1:30 p.m.
