Thunder Place Three on All-NPF Team
August 17, 2007 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Rockford Thunder News Release
ROCKFORD, Ill. - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) announced today that Kristen Zaleski, Mackenzie Vandergeest and Serena Settlemier have all been named to the All-NPF Team.
For Zaleski, this is the third consecutive season that she has been named to the All-NPF Team as one of the leagues top outfielders. In 2005, she also was named the NPF League MVP.
So far this season, not including exhibition games, Zaleski is hitting .326, collecting 43 hits in 132 at-bats. She is in the top seven in the league in plate appearances with 153 (No. 1), triples with 3(No. 2), hits (No. 2), at-bats (No. 3), walks with 19 (No. 5), batting average (No. 6) and runs scored with 22 (No. 7). Zaleski also has a perfect fielding percentage this season, having not committed an error to go with her five outfield assists.
Vandergeest, a player who is in her third year in the league, is having a career year to be named the All-NPF catcher. She has reached career highs in several offensive categories, including homeruns, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage and walks.
Within the league leaders, Vandergeest is ranked No. 2 in walks with 26, No. 3 in doubles with five, No. 5 in on-base percentage at .444%, No. 6 in homeruns with seven and No. 7 in RBIs with 23. She has also thrown out 12 would be base stealers.
For Settlemier it is also her first season on the All-NPF Team. She made this year's team as the final at-large selection, which actually came down to a league-wide vote.
During much of the 2007 season Settlemier has been the team's ace pitcher. Her record of 10-8 is not a good enough indicator of how well she has pitched this season. She could easily be 12-6 or 13-5 is the offense would have produced a couple of runs in her support.
Settlemier also finds herself in the top 10 in several categories within the league leaders. She is No. 1 in complete games with 12, No. 3 in innings pitched (121.0), batters faced (471) and at-bats against with 429, No. 4 in ERA at 1.46, No. 5 in wins with 10 and games started with 14 and No. 8 in strikeouts with 83.
The Thunder are now in a must-win situation entering the final two-games of the season, as they sit just one game out of the playoffs. Game three and four of the series with the Bandits are Friday and Saturday night in Lisle. Each game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. CDT.
For more information on the Thunder or to purchase season tickets for the 2008 season, contact Aaron M. Moore, general manager, at (815) 965-7000 or amoore@thunderprofastpitch.com. For additional information on the team, visit them on the web at www.thunderprofastpitch.com.
National Pro Fastpitch Stories from August 17, 2007
- Burnum Burns Riptide - Philadelphia Force
- Thunder Place Three on All-NPF Team - Rockford Thunder
- Force Foursome on All-NPF Team, Thorson Top Rookie - Philadelphia Force
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
