FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2008
SLIAC ANNOUNCES ATHLETES OF THE WEEK FOR MARCH 31-April 6

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) has announced the Athletes of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

BASEBALL-HITTER
Westminster College’s Joe Leake, a junior from St. Louis, Mo. (Vianney), has been named the SLIAC Baseball Hitter of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Leake, a shortstop, hit .500 (8-for-16) with three doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored in five games during the week.  He went 4-for-6 in Westminster’s doubleheader sweep of Fontbonne, including a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored in the nightcap.  Leake had four hits in three games against MacMurray, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in the opener of the doubleheader.  He finished his week with a 2-for-4, five-RBI performance in a nine-inning win over MacMurray with a home run and two runs scored.

BASEBALL-PITCHER
Maryville University’s Scott Murfin, a junior from Salem, Ill., has been named the SLIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Murfin threw 6.2 shutout innings in Maryville’s 6-0 win over Greenville in the opener of a doubleheader between the teams.  He struck out four batters and allowed just three hits.

SOFTBALL-HITTER
Eureka College’s Emily Forbes, a senior from Bourbonnais, Ill. (Bradley-Bourbonnais) has been named the SLIAC Softball Hitter of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Forbes, a shortstop, hit .600 (6-for-10) with a triple, four RBI and nine runs scored during the week.  In four games, she stole eight bases (in nine attempts), had four sacrifices and reached base on walks three times.  In the Red Devils’ 14-3 win over Lincoln Christian, Forbes had a career-high four runs scored and five stolen bases while recording a hit in her only official at-bat.  The second game of the LCC doubleheader featured a 3-for-4 performance with four RBI and three runs scored.  After a 0-for-2 with two sacrifices, a run scored and a stolen base in the opener of a doubleheader split with Westminster, Forbes went 2-for-3 with a triple and run scored in the nightcap.

SOFTBALL-PITCHER
Webster University’s Megan Sperry, a sophomore from Clarkston, Mich. (Mott CC), has been named the SLIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Sperry went 1-1 with a 0.54 ERA and nine strikeouts, pitching two complete games during the week.  She allowed just one earned run (two runs total), walked two and allowed five hits in 13 innings.  She threw a complete game two-hitter in Webster’s 4-1 win over Greenville, striking out six.  Sperry was the tough luck loser in the Gorloks’ 1-0 loss to Millikin, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out three in six innings. 

MEN’S TENNIS
Westminster College’s Andrew Darkow, a junior from Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge), has been named the SLIAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Darkow won all six of his matches during the week including three at #2 singles and three at #1 doubles with Chris Claypool.  His singles victories included Conference wins over Greenville (6-0, 6-1) and Fontbonne (6-0, 6-0), and a non-Conference win over Cornell, Iowa (6-4, 6-3).  Darkow/Claypool registered 9-7, 8-1 and 8-0 wins over Greenville, Cornell and Fontbonne, respectively.

WOMEN’S TENNIS
Principia College’s Cory Sprague, a senior from San Diego, Calif. (Francis W. Parker), has been named the SLIAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.

Sprague won all six of her matches during the week including three matches at #1 singles and three at #1 doubles with Juliana Ko, including a three-set singles win over  Greenville (3-6, 6-2, 10-8).  Principia posted a 3-0 record at the Greenville Lady Panthers Invitational as Sprague and her Panther teammates posted wins over Stephens, Eureka and Greenville.   

GOLF
Maryville University’s Nick Profancik, a junior from Centralia, Ill., has been named the SLIAC Golfer of the Week for the week of March 31-April 6.  This marks the third time Profancik has been selected the SLIAC Golfer of the Week.

Profancik was the top SLIAC finisher at the Webster Gorlok Spring Invitational with a fifth-place finish (tied), shooting a 5-over-par 70-77—147 in the 82-golfer field.  The Saints finished second in the 13-team field (293-321—614).  He followed that performance with an 83-77-83—243 at the Beu/Mussatto Invitational.  Maryville finished 13th (331-328-322—981) in the Tournament hosted by Division I Western Illinois University and featuring primarily Division I, Division II and scholarship NAIA programs.