May 16, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . Five Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) baseball and softball players have been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District® VII College Division Teams released May 8. Softball players Kim Lambert (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) of Luther College and Angela Hartwig (Long Grove, Iowa/North Scott) of Wartburg College were selected to the First Team, while baseball players Nick Olberding (Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman) of Loras College, Ryan Schisler (Morrison, Ill./Morrison) of Coe College, and Tony Foster (Camanche, Iowa/Camanche) of the University of Dubuque were named to the second Team.

Lambert, a sophomore pitcher for the Norse who carries a 3.74 grade point average majoring in health, had an outstanding year for the Norse in the pitching circle. She tallied a record of 11-5 while producing a 1.63 earned-run average. She pitched 90 1/3 innings, struck out a pitching staff best 137 and held opponents to a batting average of .141. As a team, Luther posted its second consecutive 30-win season, with a record of 30-12. Last year, the Norse set the single season school record with a mark of 35-7.

Hartwig, a junior pitcher for the Knights who carries a 3.48 grade point average majoring in biology, earned IIAC Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 20-2 record with an 0.86 ERA and 164 strikeouts while leading the Knights to their third straight NCAA Regional Tournament appearance. She hurled 138 2/3 innings in 27 appearances, notching 14 complete games. Hartwig also figured in nine shutouts, recorded a league-high four saves, and held opponents to just a .150 batting average. Wartburg posted its sixth straight 30-win season, finishing at 32-8.

Olberding, a junior shortstop for the Duhawks who has a 3.91 grade point average majoring in biological research, started all 46 of Loras' games, finishing second on the team in hitting with a .331 batting average. He led the team in hits (57), doubles (15), and slugging percentage (.471), was second in RBI (30) and home runs (3), and third in runs scored (31). Olberding hit .333 and drove in a team-high eight runs during the IIAC Tournament to help lead a fifth-seeded Duhawks that fell one win short of capturing the tourney title and the automatic berth in the NCAA Championship. He also led the team with 16 multiple-hit games

Schisler, a sophomore infielder for the Kohawks who has a 3.97 grade point average majoring in education, started all 42 of Coe's games in 2008, ranking fifth on the team with a .331 batting average. He was second on the team with 12 doubles, ranked third in RBI (24), and was fourth in hits (48) and runs scored (28). Schisler ranked second on the team with 15 multiple-hit games. Coe finished third in the IIAC with a 13-10 league record, qualifing for the IIAC Tournament where they finished with a 1-2 record.

Foster, a sophomore designated hitter/pitcher for the Spartans who has a 3.93 grade point average majoring in aviation flight, played in 27 games for the Spartans, starting 20 of them. He hit. 216 with four doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored, and 11 RBI in 74 at-bats.

To be eligible, nominees must have reached sophomore status, while also completing at least one academic year at her current institution. The student-athlete must also be a starter or key reserve (playing in over 50 percent of the team’s games) with legitimate athletic credentials, and must also hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 (on a 4.0 scale).

As First Team selections, Lambert and Hartwig advance to the National Ballot for the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball Team which will be released Wednesday, May 28. Selections for the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Baseball Team will be released Tuesday, May 27.

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