Former Illinois State softball player Emily Krueger earned Easton All-America Third Team honors Thursday. Honorees were chosen from nearly 40 Easton sponsored teams across the country. She is just the tenth softball player to achieve all-America status at Illinois State.
Its an honor to be recognized in the same respect as other players from places like UCLA, Arizona and Florida State, Krueger said. I just went out every day and played, and tried to do the best that I could to help our team.
In 2004, Krueger helped the Redbirds to national rankings of No. 16 in home runs per game (0.85) and No. 26 in fielding percentage (0.968). Individually, she was ranked among the NCAAs best in five different categories. She finished her senior campaign fourth in the nation in home runs per game (0.35) and sixth in slugging percentage (0.817). Krueger was also No. 28 in RBI per game (0.83), No. 29 in being hit by a pitch (0.17) and No. 49 in batting average (0.392).
Krueger is currently playing with the Lowell, Mass., based New England Riptide of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. The league, which runs from June 1 through the end of August, is in its first season following the success of the 2003 NPF All-Star Tour. Teams in the league include the Texas Thunder, Akron Racers, California Sunbirds, Tucson Heat and the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut.
The Pleasant Plains, Ill., native, took her game to another level in 2004, leading the Redbirds in nearly every offensive category on her way to becoming one of the top hitters in Illinois State and Missouri Valley Conference history. Krueger broke both the conference and school single season home run marks during her senior campaign, finishing with 18 on the season. After just two seasons in a Redbird uniform, the lefty finished her collegiate career at No. 2 on the Illinois State career home run list with 24 round-trippers and was tied for third on the Valley career list.
Despite playing at ISU for just two seasons, Kruegers name peppers the hitting categories in the Redbird record book. She set the new career slugging percentage standard at .656 and tied the record for homers in a game with two against Illinois, while also ranking in the top three for RBI in a season (43), extra base hits in a season (28) and single season slugging percentage (.817).
The Lincoln Land Community College transfer was a unanimous All-Valley first team selection and was the runner-up for Player of the Year in 2004. She led the league in home runs and helped the Redbirds break the Valleys single season home run record with 45 round trippers this season.
Emily is so deserving of this honor, Redbird head coach
Melinda Fischer said. She led our team in every way this season and Im so proud of her for what she accomplished in her two years at Illinois State. With many players honored who participated in the Womens College World Series this year, Emilys in great company.
Kruegers other honors this season include receiving preseason Valley honorable mention accolades, being named to the Western Kentucky All-Tournament Team, earning Valley Player of the Week on March 16 and Valley All-Tournament Team honors. She also garnered Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Great Lakes Region Second Team honors and was a member of the Illinois State Athletics (AFNI) Honor Roll.
