May 5, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University freshman Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) has been named Big Ten Softball Pitcher of Week whileWildcat junior Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) has earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors. This is the second consecutive week Foster has garnered the award, and the third time this season. It is Leto's first such honor.
Foster recorded back-to-back victories over No. 24 Illinois last weekend, both must-win games that lifted NU to the final berth of the 2003 Big Ten Softball Tournament. The freshman pitcher earned 6-0 and 2-1 complete game victories, stifling the Illini. In the 6-0 win Saturday, Foster fanned 10 batters while yielding four hits. She allowed just one infield single, while tossing seven strikeouts in the 2-1 victory Sunday.
Foster has a 16-8 record this season with a 1.32 ERA. She has struck out 246 batters in 179.2 innings pitched. Her 9.58 strikeouts per seven innings average ranks her in the top 15 nationally, and currently stands as the second-best single-season mark in NU history. Foster has not allowed an earned run in 45.2 innings. Opponents are batting a paltry .168 against her this season.
Leto exploded for a .714 batting average against Illinois, going 5-for-7 in the series. The junior was 3-for-4 at the plate Saturday with an RBI double and two runs scored. In Sunday's 2-1 win, Leto went 2-for-3 with a run scored. She shares this week's honor with Michigan State's Sandy Lewis.
She is currently batting .301 on the season after raising her overall average 19 points over the weekend. The junior lifted her Big Ten batting average 49 points. She ranks second on the team in total bases with 64, third on the club with 47 hits and a .301 batting average. She ranks fourth on the squad with a .410 slugging percentage.
Northwestern is currently 32-15 overall and finished the Big Ten season 11-9. The sixth-seeded Wildcats will open the 2003 Big Ten Softball Tournament at 9:30 a.m. Thursday against the No. 3 seed, Michigan State in Iowa City, Iowa.