Published: May 05, 2009 08:57 am      

Pair of Saints earn honorable mention

DES MOINES — Ashford softball third baseman Whitney Bauer and outfielder Jamie Gillespie were named to the Midwest Collegiate All-Conference honorable mention team, the league announced Monday.

“Whitney and Jamie are very deserving of this honor,” Ashford coach Kyle Yore. “They were consistent offensive threats all season long, and their numbers speak for themselves. We will miss Jamie next season, but we’re looking forward to seeing Whitney progress even more to help our program turn the corner.”

In her first season at Ashford, Bauer led the Saints in hitting (.303) and was second with 36 hits. The DeWitt native also led the team with eight doubles and drove in 15 runs.

Gillespie, the lone senior on the team, patroled center field while playing with a stress fracture in her foot for part of the season. She still managed to pace Ashford in hits (40), home runs (five), runs scored (22) and runs batted in (21). A product of Davenport, she was second to Bauer in batting average (.296) and will remembered for becoming the first player in NAIA history to hit two grand slams in one inning against Viterbo University. Gillespie also tied the NAIA single-game RBI record with 10, equaling Lakyn Newton of Shorter College (Ga.) and her effort in 2008.

A total of 37 student-athletes were part of the all-conference teams as voted by the coaches.