MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – UW-Eau Claire softball player Amanda Fischer (So.-Wausau, Wis./West) has been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Position Player of the Year, leading this year's group of Blugolds on the All-WIAC team.
This season, Fischer leads the WIAC in stolen bases with 29 so far, which is tied for fourth best in school single season archives and is currently 10th best in the nation. She leads the Blugolds in runs scored with 35, tied for third most in the league, and also leads the team with six home runs. Fischer, an outfielder/catcher, is third on the team with a .385 batting average (40-for-104). This is the second year in a row Fischer was named to the All-WIAC team.
Along with Fischer's selection to the first team, Sarah Fern (Sr.-Brooklyn Center, Minn./Park Center), Jenny Hess (Sr.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln), Zana Lorbetske (Fr.-Rhinelander, Wis./Three Lakes) and Emma Wishau (Jr.-Burlington, Wis./Waterford Union) were also named to the team.
Fern played firstbase this season and leads the team in batting with a .394 average (39-for-99) while also leading the Blugolds with 30 RBI. She has scored 11 runs and is tied for a team-high eight doubles. Fern leads the team with 168 putouts while she also had five assists with no errors. This is Fern's third selection to the All-WIAC team, her first at Eau Claire, but she was recognized at UW-River Falls in 2009 and 2010.
Hess played secondbase and is second on the team in batting with a .389 average (44-for-113) and with 22 stolen bases, which also ranks second in the WIAC and 30th in the nation. Hess has scored 29 runs, second most on the team, and has 11 RBI. Last year, Hess received All-WIAC honorable mention recognition.
Lorbetske, a righthanded pitcher, has appeared in 20 games and has an ERA of 2.20, fifth best in the WIAC and second best on the team. With 63.2 innings pitched, she has recorded 77 strikeouts and has a record of 8-3 with one save.
Wishau, a lefthanded pitcher, is fourth in the WIAC with a 2.05 ERA, which leads the Blugolds. She has an 8-3 record with one save, appearing in 18 games with 75 innings pitched. Wishau has 22 strikeouts this season.
Nikki Brooks (So.-New Richmond, Wis./St. Croix Central) received honorable mention status. Brooks primarily played in leftfield this season but also appeared in two games in the circle. She is fourth on the team with a batting average of .363 (29-for-80) and is fifth with 27 RBI.
Also honored was Karen Hansen (Sr.-Amery, Wis.) on the All-Sportsmanship Team, which was selected for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school. This season, Hansen appeared in 19 games primarily pinch running, while starting twice. Hansen was a team manager during her freshman and sophomore seasons before trying out for and making the team her junior year, only to tear her ACL in November, preventing her from participating. Hansen recovered from two ACL surgeries – one on each knee – plus an arthroscopic surgery on one knee and was able to be in uniform for her senior year.
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