May 10, 2007

Five Maroons Named to All-Region Team

CHICAGO -- Led by first-team selection, senior Petra Wade (Batavia, Ill./ Batavia), five University of Chicago softball players were selected to the All-Great Lakes Region Team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced today.

Wade, who garnered second-team recognition a year ago, pitched in 24 games including 17 starts during the regular season. She posted a 15-5 record with a 2.10 earned run average and struck out 115 batters in 113.1 innings. Wade also contributed at the plate, batting .397 with 17 RBIs in 63 at-bats.

Wade's last win of the regular season marked the 50th her career, making her the winningest hurler in school history.

Junior catcher Vanessa Pineros (Mukilteo, Wash./ Kamiak) also earned inclusion on the All-Great Lakes Region Team for the second straight year as a second-team selection.

Pineros led the team in batting (.449), hits (48), doubles (9), RBIs (21), walks (18), and on-base percentage (.531) in 34 regular season contests. She struck out just once in 107 at-bats to rank as the seventh-most difficult to fan in the NCAA Division III during the regular season.

Three Maroons earned garnered third-team all-region recognition.

Senior shortstop Jessica Mayhew (Plymouth, N.H./ Plymouth) started all 34 regular season games and hit .308 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.

Freshman Kathleen Duffy (Hoffman Estates, Ill./ Barrington) started 33 games, primarily as a right fielder (18) and designated hitter (11). Duffy led the Maroons with seven home runs while batting .337 with a team-best .620 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, she was 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six appearances (three starts).

Freshman Lauren White (Oakland, Calif./ Bentley School) started all 34 games, including 13 in right field. She batted .342 and ranked second on the team with 20 RBIs. In 13 pitching appearances (six starts), White compiled a 6-3 record with a save and a 3.48 ERA.

Chicago posted a 25-9 mark during the regular season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

All-Great Lakes Region Team