Six Falcons Named to All-WIAC Teams

May 6, 2009

Six Falcons were named to 2009 All-WIAC softball teams.

Shortstop Mindy Rudiger (Sr., Menomonie, Wis.), center fielder Jessica Lundgren (Jr., Cushing, Wis. St. Croix Falls HS) and first baseman Sarah Fern (Fr., Brooklyn Center, Minn. Park Center HS) were all named to the first team. Left fielder Rachel Mathias (Sr., Ripon, Wis.) and pitcher Rose Tusa (Fr., Roseville, Minn. St. Anthony Village HS) both earned honorable mention. Second baseman Cassie Peterson (Sr., New Richmond, Wis.) was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. The team is selected in a vote by the league coaches.

"I am very pleased with the All-Conference selections for UWRF. Each one of the Falcons named to the team are hard-working student-athletes that are very deserving of the recognition they have received," said Falcon Coach Jody Gabriel.

Rudiger, who was named to the first team in 2007 and 2008 and earned honorable mention in 2006, holds several Falcon career records. This year she hit 12 home runs which ties her for the UWRF single season mark. She has hit 38 career homers and that ties her for the WIAC career mark. Rudiger has scored 171 career runs and has 142 RBI and those marks are second and third respectively in the WIAC career records book. She hit .410 this year and led the Falcons in hits (59), doubles (11), slugging percentage (.736) and RBI (56). She is the Falcon career leader in at bats (562), runs (171), hits (208) home runs (38), RBI (142) and walks (96). She is second in career hitting with a .370 average. Rudiger started and played in every game in her UWRF career (171).

Lundgren led the Falcons with a .419 average this year. The slap hitter also led the team in runs (49), sacrifices (16) and stolen bases (21). She has led the Falcons in stolen bases the past two years and has 49 in her career. Lundgren has a .356 career batting average. She started all 43 games.

Fern was one of only two freshmen named to the first All-WIAC team. She was third in hitting with a .398 average. She started in all 43 games this year and finished with 10 runs scored, five doubles, five homers and 51 RBI. She had a .549 slugging percentage. She made just two errors in the field and led the Falcons with a .992 fielding average. She also led the Falcons with a .481 on-base percentage.

Mathias started all 43 games for the Falcons and hit .286. She scored 18 runs and had three doubles and three homers. She had 23 RBI and had a .393 slugging percentage. She stole three bases. Mathias finished her career with a .282 batting average. She scored 71 runs and had 18 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. She finished with 60 RBI.

Tusa, a right-handed pitcher, had a solid freshman campaign. She led the Falcons with a 13-4 record and a 3.05 ERA. She appeared in 26 games and pitched a team high 105.2 innings. She struck out 116 and walked 43. Opponents hit .241 against her. She also hit .309 with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBI. She scored 11 runs and had a .432 slugging percentage. Tusa was perfect in the field handling 34 chances with no errors.

Peterson was named to the All-Sportsmanship team for the second straight year. She started all 43 games for the Falcons and hit .262. The slap hitter had one double and 15 RBI. She scored 15 runs. Peterson finished her career with a .246 average with 36 runs scored and 25 RBI.

The Falcons finished 27-16 overall and 8-8 in the WIAC. The Falcons advanced to the WIAC Tournament where they finished 3-2. UWRF defeated No. 20 ranked Eau Claire, 7-6, and No. 4 ranked Whitewater, 5-2, at the tourney.

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