March 7, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
She was named Monday as the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week and Shannon Nicholson added a second weekly honor to her resume on Wednesday, as the league office named the Illinois State senior co-captain this week's Prairie Farms/MVC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week.
The scholar-athlete honor is the first for the ISU softball team in 2007 and is also the first time Nicholson, who currently leads the conference in wins (9), innings pitched (72.2) and games started (11), has been named to the post. A Chatham, Ill., native, Nicholson carries a 3.64 cumulative grade-point average in business teacher education.
Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer appreciates Nicholson's work ethic both on the field and in the classroom.
"Shannon is a model student-athlete," said Fischer. "She is the type of player who takes care of her business on and off the field. Shannon is very directed and goal-oriented. She does a tremendous job in both situations for us."
Nicholson earned Valley Pitcher of the Week honors after helping the No. 18 Illinois State softball team to a 4-1 record last weekend, claiming a 3-0 record in the circle. She picked up a pair of wins over then-No. 17 Florida and Sunday's 8-5 win over Long Beach State. Nicholson pitched 20.2 innings last weekend in four games, starting three, and recorded a 1.02 ERA. Striking out 14 batters, the right-hander gave up 18 hits, but allowed only three runs to cross.
Against the Gators on Friday, March 2, Nicholson allowed just one hit in the second inning before retiring 17 straight batters from the second to the seventh innings. A defensive error robbed Nicholson of the complete game shutout, as she was replaced after six and two-thirds innings by fellow senior pitcher Stacy Birk.
