McKendree Rolls to AMC Softball Tournament Championship

Springfield, Ill., April 29 – For the first time since 2001, the McKendree College softball team has won the American Midwest Conference Tournament. The Bearcats wrapped up the 2007 title by cruising past Hannibal-LaGrange College in the championship contest, 11-1 in five innings. In its four AMC Tournament wins, McKendree outscored its opponents by a margin of 33-1.

By winning the AMC Tournament, McKendree earns the league's automatic bid to the NAIA Region V Tournament, which will be held May 8-10 in Springfield, Mo.

In voting by the league's eight head coaches, Ashley Windmiller of William Woods University has been named the 2007 American Midwest Conference Player of the Year. Windmiller, a senior catcher/designated player from Salisbury, Mo., enjoyed an outstanding season for the Owls. Windmiller paced William Woods with a .460 batting average, 63 hits, 13 home runs and 53 runs batted in, along with an on-base percentage of .513. Windmiller has shattered the Owls' home run mark and ranks among the program's top five in most major offensive categories.

The 2007 AMC Pitcher of the Year is Katie McMahon from Columbia College. McMahon, a junior from Edina, Mo., posted a 12-8 record with an earned-run average of 1.43 during the regular season. In AMC play, she had six wins, 55 strikeouts and a 0.59 ERA. McMahon fanned 113 batters in 122 innings pitched while allowing just 31 walks.

Christa Hummer of William Woods University was chosen as the 2007 AMC Newcomer of the Year. Hummer, a senior pitcher from Clarksdale, Mo., collected 13 wins on the mound for the Owls. She was 13-5 overall with one save and an earned-run average of 1.04. Hummer pitched 104 innings for William Woods and notched 81 strikeouts.

Earning AMC Freshman of the Year honors is Dani Frick of Hannibal-LaGrange College. Frick, a shortstop from Villa Ridge, Mo., batted .407 with eight doubles, three triples, a home run and 32 RBI. She posted an on-base percentage of .449 and struck out just seven times in 118 at-bats.

Evelyn Bean of McKendree College was named the 2007 AMC Coach of the Year. Now in her 10th season at McKendree, Bean led the Bearcats to a 34-12 overall record and a 13-1 mark in conference play. Earlier in the 2007 season, Bean collected her 300th career victory at McKendree. Entering the AMC Tournament, Bean compiled 323 wins in her 10 years with the Bearcat program.

A complete list of the 18-member AMC All-Conference team, the honorable mention squad and the academic all-conference team, is included below. Members of the academic all-conference team have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.