Tri-Star Production

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - Susquehanna University has placed three players on the 2001 Commonwealth Conference Softball All-Star team as chosen by the league's eight head coaches, it was announced Wednesday.

Senior pitcher Kristen Hogan and junior third baseman Shelly Zimmerman were named to the first team while sophomore outfielder Teresa Ely was chosen to the second team. Hogan and Zimmerman are the first Susquehanna teammates to earn first-team honors since three Crusaders were chosen in 1998.

The trio helped the Crusaders to their first regular-season Commonwealth Conference championship in school history as the team finished the season with a 16-12-1 overall record and a 10-4 mark in league action.

Hogan (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury H.S.), a three-time Commonwealth Conference All-Star and a two-time first-team selection, finished the season with a 12-4 record and a 2.25 earned run average in 17 games (14 starts). In 108 2/3 innings of work, Hogan struck out 103 batters and walked 25 while holding opponents to a .250 batting average.

In her career, Hogan finished as the Susquehanna career leader in victories (44) and strikeouts (442) while ranking third in earned run average at 2.03 and fourth in winning percentage at .657. She owns the top four single-season strikeout totals in school history, including the only three seasons of more than 100 strikeouts.

Zimmerman (Denver, Pa./Garden Spot H.S.) hit .381 while starting all 29 games at third base this season. She led the Crusaders in doubles (six), triples (three), home runs (three), runs batted in (18), total bases (58) and slugging percentage (.598) and ranked second on the team in hits with 37.

Zimmerman posted the team's longest hitting streak of the season by hitting safely in 19 consecutive games from March 24 to May 4.

Ely (Montrose, Pa./Montrose H.S.) earned second-team honors after leading the Crusaders with a .388 average in 29 games. She led the team with 39 hits and five stolen bases while posting a .423 on-base percentage primarily out of the number-two spot in the lineup. Ely hit safely in 17 consecutive games from March 24 until April 30, the second-longest hitting streak on the team this season.