April Schermann and Nicole Kurth of the Illinois State softball team were named Missouri Valley Conference player and pitcher of the week Tuesday.
Schermann, a native of Peoria, led ISU through ten games this season with a .481 batting average. She hit .500 in the Alabama Tournament Feb. 9-11, going 8-for-16 with a double and six RBI.
At the Louisville Slugger Classic last weekend, Schermann hit a two-run homer against Michigan State while she batted .455 at the tourney with two runs and five RBI. She has 11 RBI so far this year.
Kurth, a native of Bartonville, Ill., and the 2000 MVC Tournament MVP, pitched two shutouts in ISUs first two tournaments, including a 2-0 victory over No. 13 Iowa. In those two shutout victories, Kurth struck out a total of 23 batters, while allowing no runs.
Against Tennessee Tech at the Alabama Tournament, Kurth fanned 13, tying a tournament record and an ISU school record which she established last year. She had ten strikeouts and allowed just four hits in a 2-0 victory against the nationally-ranked Hawkeyes.
The Redbirds have played three nationally-ranked teams this season and Schermann and Kurth have helped lead ISU to a 5-5 start. At Alabama, the Birds went 3-2, finishing second in the tournament. At the Louisville Slugger Classic, ISU posted a 2-3 record, its best showing since 1998 in that tournament. Illinois State has been participating in the Classic since 1990.
With Schermann and Kurth tabbed player and pitcher of the week, they become the third and fourth ISU athlete to receive Valley honors this past week. Ryan Cantrell of the baseball team and Tarise Bryson of the men's basketball team both were chosen as player of the week for their respective sport.
