University of Tennessee Athletics
SCHUTZLER NAMED USA SOFTBALL NATIONAL PLAYER & LADY VOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
February 21, 2006 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The softball awards continue to roll in for Tennessee junior shortstop Lindsay Schutzler after her incredible weekend effort during the Big Orange's perfect roll through the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., over Feb. 17-19. For her stellar contribution, the Monterey, Calif., native has been chosen as both the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week and the Lady Vol Athlete of the Week.
"Winning the USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Week and Lady Vol Athlete of the Week awards are great honors for me. The team and I worked very hard all fall to prepare to play in tournaments like the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic," said Schutzler. "We knew it was going to be a big tournament for us. We, as a team, wanted to come out and play well, and I wanted to do my best job to help our team."
The national award from USA Softball marks the fourth time a Lady Vol softball student-athlete has received the illustrious prize. Junior pitcher Monica Abbott reaped the honor twice (2/10/04 and 2/14/05) prior to the 2006 campaign, and former UT player Stacey Jennings picked up the award once (2/25/03) in her days on Rocky Top.
Schutzler, a 2005 second-team NFCA All-American registered a staggering .733 batting average on 11-of-15 hitting at the plate with a double, a triple, six RBI and nine runs scored as UT swept through quality opposition in posting a 5-0 mark in Las Vegas. Included in her impressive weekend were a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the dish with four RBI in the 13-1 (5) win over Kansas, a 2-for-2, two-walk performance in a 1-0 triumph over No. 18/24 Oregon and a 3-for-5, three run scored effort during a 13-1 rout of Hawaii.
"Lindsay Schutzler epitomizes the perfect student-athlete," said Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly. "She's an Academic All-American in the classroom and has her priorities in order. She works extremely hard on the softball field to continue to improve her game. Lindsay is a success because she knows what it important and knows how to prepare herself to compete. She is truly a pleasure to coach."
Also the reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, Schutzler currently heads the potent Lady Vol offensive attack with a .560 batting average on 14-of-25 hitting at the plate. She also guides the pack in slugging percentage (.680), on-base percentage (.656) and runs scored (11). As the team's lead-off hitter, she has reached base safely in all eight of UT's contests in 2006. Tennessee (8-0) is hitting a robust .385 as a team and is scoring 8.5 runs a game.
The Lady Vols, off to the second-best start in program history, will return to the diamond this Fri., Feb. 24, at the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. Tennessee will open the tournament on Friday by battling No. 22 Iowa at 5 p.m. and Florida State at 7:30 p.m. A Saturday match-up versus No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette (10 a.m.) is scheduled before bracket play begins that afternoon.
