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Three Titans Receive All-WIAC First Team Accolades

Three Titans Receive All-WIAC First Team Accolades

First-team selections Erika Berry, Sara Brunlieb and Abby Menting headline UW-Oshkosh's five selections to the 2017 All-WIAC softball teams.

Brunlieb, a senior pitcher, garnered all-league first team honors for the third consecutive season while Berry, a junior third baseman, and Menting, a sophomore catcher, were tabbed to the conference's top team for the second straight year.

Completing UW-Oshkosh's All-WIAC honorees were freshman shortstop Natalie Dudek and sophomore first baseman Kaitlyn Krol, who were named honorable mention picks.

UW-Oshkosh (30-11) received an at-large berth to the 62-team NCAA Division III Championship after finishing third in the WIAC standings.

Brunlieb, the 2015 WIAC Pitcher of the Year, Brunlieb has compiled a 12-5 record this season with a 2.43 earned run average and 104 strikeouts in 115 innings pitched and 23 appearances, including 20 as a starter. She tossed a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts against Fontbonne University (Mo.) on March 21 and a four-hitter at UW-Stout on April 30.

This season, Brunlieb ranks second in the WIAC in strikeouts, third in wins, fifth in innings pitched, eighth in earned run average and 10th in opponent batting average (.260).

Brunlieb's career totals include a 57-20 record with a 2.36 earned run average and 329 strikeouts in 501 innings pitched across 98 appearances, including 81 as a starter. Her career victory total ranks second in school history and ninth among active Division III pitchers.

Berry, who has played in all 41 games this season, is hitting .347 with 26 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 22 runs batted in, a .589 slugging percentage and a team-leading six stolen bases.

Berry went 5-for-5 with four doubles, one triple and six runs batted in against Edgewood College on Feb. 24. Her four doubles tied the Division III record while her five hits matched the program record. Berry, who has 12 multiple-hit games this year, also went a combined 4-for-6 with a double and a pair of home runs during a doubleheader sweep over UW-Platteville on April 8.

Berry leads the conference with nine sacrifice bunts. She also ranks fourth in the WIAC in triples; fifth in fielding double plays (5); sixth in home runs, total bases (73) and assists (60); and eighth in runs scored and slugging percentage.

During her career, Berry has compiled a .348 batting average, 80 runs scored, 29 doubles, eight home runs, 63 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases in 121 games.

Menting, the 2016 WIAC Co-Position Player of the Year, paces the team in batting average (.383), hits (44), home runs (5), runs batted in (28), walks (21), on-base percentage (.482) and slugging percentage (.626). She produced a 12-game hitting streak from April 20-30 and 14 multiple-hit games.

Menting leads the conference in walks while listing fourth in the league in doubles (13) and on-base percentage; sixth in home runs; slugging percentage and fielding chances (202); seventh in total bases (72) and putouts (182); eighth in runs batted in; and ninth in batting average while playing in each of the Titans' 41 games.

In her career, Menting is hitting .402 with 44 runs scored, 21 doubles, 11 home runs, 65 runs batted in, a .485 on-base percentage and a .655 slugging percentage in 79 games.

Dudek is hitting .306 with 22 runs scored, two home runs and 17 runs batted in. She has been hit by a WIAC-leading 11 pitches while ranking fourth in the league in fielding double plays (8) and fifth with 75 assists.

Dudek, who provided the game-winning hit against St. Catherine University (Minn.) on March 22, hit a two-run homer against UW-Whitewater on April 22 and a solo shot against UW-Eau Claire on May 5. She has started each of UW-Oshkosh's 41 games.

Krol has a .320 batting average with 21 runs scored, 12 doubles, three home runs and 27 runs batted in. She leads the conference with 16 fielding double plays while ranking third in the league in fielding chances (246) and putouts (232), and seventh in doubles.

Krol blasted three-run homers in victories over Amherst College (Mass.) on March 17 and Carthage College on April 20.

Krol's career totals include a .307 batting average, 34 runs scored, 13 doubles, five home runs, 39 runs batted in, and a .464 slugging percentage in 74 games.

The All-WIAC First Team was comprised of 20 players while 15 received honorable mention recognition.

Joining the Titans trio on the league's top team were UW-Eau Claire's Lauren Blasczyk, Rachel Heffel and Evie Schaller; UW-La Crosse's Brittany Baldwin, Stephanie Cole, Caitlyn Hughes and Grace Mindrup; UW-Platteville's Jessy Tanel; UW-River Falls' Ali Krohn; UW-Stevens Point's Paige Allen and Morgan Johnson; UW-Stout's Kaylee Francois; and UW-Whitewater's Meg Cohrs, Mallory Klotz, Bella Matthias, Haley Morelli and Amy Ricci.

Conference regular season and tournament champion UW-Whitewater swept the major awards as Morelli was named Position Player of the Year, Matthias was tabbed Pitcher of the Year and Brenda Volk earned Coach of the Year honors.

The champion Warhawks were followed in the WIAC standings by UW-La Crosse in second place, UW-Oshkosh in third, UW-Eau Claire in fourth, UW-Stout in fifth, UW-Platteville in sixth, and UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point in seventh.

UW-Oshkosh will be joined in the NCAA postseason by WIAC members UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater. The Titans opens regional play against Benedictine University (Ill.) (33-11) at 1 p.m. Friday (May 12) in La Crosse.