NCAC Softball Awards Highlighted by Zang's Third Consecutive Pitcher of the Year Honor
The North Coast Athletic Conference announced this year’s conference awards on Wednesday morning, as the Tigers landed four players on the first team, two players on the second team, and Chelsea Zang as the Pitcher of the Year.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The North Coast Athletic Conference announced this year's conference awards on Wednesday morning, as the Tigers landed four players on the first team, two players on the second team, and Chelsea Zang as the Pitcher of the Year.
Zang turned in yet another stellar performance in her final year in a Tigers uniform. The pitcher from Cincinnati, Ohio has plastered her name all over the Wittenberg record book during her four-year career in Springfield. Zang's career ERA of 1.57 and 57 victories, are the best in program history. Her 572.1 innings pitched also top the record book, while her 327 career-strikeouts place her third. At the plate, she has hit a second-best 13 homeruns in her career with a .325 average and .523 slugging percentage.
This is Chelsea's third consecutive NCAC Pitcher of the Year Honors making her the only Tiger to ever win the award more than once, and the only player in conference history to win the award three consecutive times. She has been a First Team All-NCAC honoree all four years she has played. In 2015 she was named Newcomer of the Year in the conference and awarded Third Team All-Central Region. In 2016 and 2017 Chelsea was the NCAC Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All-Region selection. Chelsea plans to continue her academic career at Wittenberg in the Master's in Coaching program this fall.
Abby Haab also hangs up her spikes this year, closing the book on another great Tiger career in the circle. The senior from Dublin, Ohio posted a career 2.92 ERA and a fifth best 41 victories. She amassed 294 strikeouts, ranking third, over 386.1 career innings pitched.
Abby was a back-to-back Second Team All-NCAC selection in 2016 and 2017. She is also the only player in Wittenberg history with two career perfect games to her name. This year, Haab reached the top of the board, earning a First Team All-NCAC selection in her final year of competition.
The other two Tigers to earn First Team honors were juniors Lauren Buelow and Abby Curnutte. Buelow played in all 41 games this season, hitting .305, scoring 20 runs, and scattering 36 hits. This is Buelow's second conference honors, earning Honorable Mention in 2017. This is Curnutte's second First Team selection, as she has now earned the award in back-to-back years. Curnutte played in every game this season, hitting .346, driving in a team-high 32 runs, and mashing six homeruns.
Junior Katy Baumgartner and Sophomore Victoria Toetz earned Second Team All-NCAC honors. Baumgartner turned in yeat another great season, batting .344, driving in 22 runs, and slugging three homeruns. This is her second conference award, after she earned a first team selection in 2016. Toetz earns her first All-Conference selection, coming off a breakout year for the sophomore. Toetz saw time in the infield early in the season before seamlessly taking over at catcher, due to injuries. She hit a blistering .418 in 31 games, driving in 26 runs, and legging out three triples.