Badger trio garners All-Big Ten accolades
May 18, 2011 | Softball
May 18, 2011
• All-Big Ten Teams
MADISON, Wis. - Fresh off completing its best conference season since 2005, the Wisconsin softball team had three players garner All-Big Ten recognition Wednesday. Junior Karla Powell was named first-team All-Big Ten, while freshman Mary Massei was placed on the second team and senior Jennifer Krueger was selected for the third team. Freshman Cassandra Darrah was also recognized as the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree.
This is the second-straight season that Wisconsin has had three players recognized by the Big Ten after Krueger, Shannel Blackshear and Letty Olivarez were each named third-team All-Big Ten a year ago.
Powell, who served as the team's primary designated player in 2011, is just the third player in Badger history to be named first-team All-Big Ten and the first since Andrea Kirchberg in 2002. A native of Ashburn, Va., Powell played in all 20 games and batted .346 in conference play with three home runs and 11 RBIs. She led the team and ranked ninth in the conference with a .493 on-base percentage thanks in part to drawing 16 walks. Her .577 slugging percentage was good for second on the team as she accompanied her home runs with three doubles. Powell recorded five multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games during Big Ten play, including a home run and three runs driven in at Indiana on April 17.
Massei becomes just the sixth freshman in school history to earn All-Big Ten honors and the third to be named to the second-team. During Big Ten play, the Chino Hills, Calif., native led Wisconsin in batting average by posting a .357 mark. Her two triples tied for the conference lead, while her .667 slugging percentage was good for eighth place.
A collision in the Big Ten opener at Penn State on March 26 resulted in three facial fractures for Massei and caused her to miss the next 14 games, seven of which came within the conference. She bounced back with a game-tying home run in the seventh inning - the first of her career - in her third game upon return against Illinois on April 23. Massei also hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning at Iowa on April 27 as the Badgers completed the first road-sweep of the Hawkeyes in school history.
After being named third-team All-Big Ten in 2009 and 2010, Krueger is the third Badger ever to be a three-time All-Big Ten honoree. She hit .308 during Big Ten play and was one of the hottest hitters in the conference down the stretch. After recording just three hits in her first 30 Big Ten at-bats (.100), the Portage, Wis., native hit a blistering .486 over the rest of the season by recording 17 hits in her final 35 at-bats. Krueger also stole 11 bases during conference play, which tied for third in the league.
With strong performances against league competition, Krueger was recognized twice during the season as the Big Ten Player of the Week. In four games against Iowa and Michigan, Krueger went 7-for-11 (.636) with four runs and a .692 OBP. In the final games of the season against Ohio State, she was 5-for-7 with three runs batted in, three runs scored and a stolen base.
Wisconsin finished the season with a 30-23 record overall and a 9-11 mark in the Big Ten to record its winningest season since going 31-24 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten in 2005.
