April 21, 2008

Contact: Greg Murphy

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - After hitting .476 and leading Cleveland State to a 5-2 record last week, sophomore rightfielder Jessica Burt has been named the Horizon League Softball Player of the Week. The league office made the announcement on Monday.

Batting in the ninth spot in the order, Burt went 10-for-21 with five runs, three doubles, two homeruns and four RBI to lead CSU to five wins in seven games last week, including a 3-1 mark in Horizon League play.

After going 0-for-3 in the first game of the week at Youngstown State, Burt came back to go 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI to help CSU to a 6-2 win.

She then went 4-for-7 with two runs and two RBI, including a two-run homer as CSU split a pair of games with St. Francis at home on Wednesday.

Burt concluded the week by going 4-for-8 with two runs and an RBI as CSU took two of three games at UIC over the weekend. She was 2-for-2 with two runs and a solo homer in Sunday's 4-1 win.

Burt is hitting .275 this season with 19 runs, five doubles, a team-high four triples, three homers and 14 runs batted in.

She is the fourth Viking to earn league player of the week honors this season, joining Whitney Willard, Christa Coppus and Amanda Macenko, who has been the pitcher of the week twice this season.