WARNER PLAYER OF
THE YEAR, REDMAN ALL-REGION
For
Immediate Release
May 16, 2005
First,
the best in the conference and now,
tops in the region.
For
the second time in as many weeks, University
of St. Francis third baseman Jaci
Warner (Plainfield Central H.S./Crest
Hill, IL) has been recognized as
the player of the year, with the honors
coming from NAIA Region VII this time.
Last
week, Warner gained the distinction
from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic
Conference, where she led or tied for
the league lead in four categories -
slugging percentage, runs batted in,
runs batted in per game and doubles
- and ranked in the top 10 in six other
departments.
Freshman
shortstop Jamie Redman (Lincoln-Way
Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) also
earned the praise of the region, joining
Warner on the 18-member all-region
squad.
Just
a sophomore, Warner has already
accumulated three top awards, including
freshman of the year accolades from
the CCAC last spring, not to mention
back-to-back spots on the all-conference
first team.
In
2005, Warner and Redman
dueled one another for most of the team’s
offensive titles, with Warner claiming
the crowns in slugging percentage (.679),
doubles (14), home runs (11) and runs
batted in (51). The latter two numbers
also placed second all-time on the single-season
list at St. Francis.
"Jaci
put together a spectacular season last
year and then came back and did it again
this year," pointed out USF head
coach Dick Smith. "For a
player to come in and hit 10 home runs
as a freshman and then top that one
year later, not to mention all of the
other numbers she has put up in her
first two seasons both offensively and
defensively, it is nothing short of
fantastic."
Warner’s
other numbers included a .358 batting
average, 33 runs scored, 59 hits, 112
total bases and a .947 fielding percentage
at one of the toughest positions on
the diamond.
Redman
made up the other half of Smith’s
strongest offensive left-side of the
infield in his 20 years serving as a
coach in the program either as an assistant
or at the helm (13 years).
Like
Warner did one spring ago, Redman
made quite the impression in her first
season at the collegiate level, highlighted
by her 77 hits, the third-most in club
history.
That
was just the beginning.
The
only player on the squad to hit better
than .400, finishing at a .407 clip,
Redman claimed top offensive
honors in no less than eight categories,
including runs scored (43), total bases
(114), on base percentage (.432) and
stolen bases (13).
Those
numbers also led to a spot on the all-conference
first team for Redman, who was
USF’s sole representative on the
all-tournament team at last week’s
NAIA Region VII Championships and the
only Lady Saint to start 52 of the team’s
54 games.
"Hitting
over .400 as a freshman and as our leadoff
hitter was just an outstanding accomplishment
by Jamie," said Smith. "To
have both her and Jaci on the left side
of the infield for the next two years
only means good things for our program.
"It
has us real excited."
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