William Woods University senior forward Rachel Baker on Wednesday was named a third-team selection on the 2010-11 NAIA All-American Division I women's basketball team.
Baker was also a third-team All-American in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. She is the first three-time All-American women's basketball player at William Woods.
A Mexico, Mo., native, Baker averaged 15.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season as the No. 21 Lady Owls reached the NAIA national tournament for a third straight year. She led the team in scoring (510 points), rebounds (247) and blocked shots (62).
Baker was a two-time American Midwest Conference player of the year, both this past season and in 2008-09. She completed her career at William Woods in the top five in scoring (fourth), rebounds (third), steals (second), blocked shots (second), field goals made (fifth), and free-throw percentage (third).
Baker was also one of four William Woods players to be selected 2010-11 Daktronics-NAIA scholar-athletes. Baker is a two-time recipient, while senior guard Jill Sutton, junior center Miranda Loesch and junior guard Laken Enochs earned the honor for the first time.
The Lady Owls ended the season at 30-5, setting a school record for wins in a season. William Woods also advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, losing to Westminster (Utah) College 49-40 on March 18 in Jackson, Tenn.
William Woods baseball........4...5
Missouri-St. Louis...................1...3
ST. LOUIS - Senior right fielder LJ Watson hit two home runs in Tuesday's second game as the Owls completed a sweep of the NCAA Division II Tritons.
Junior shortstop Blake Wilson connected for a solo home run and junior first baseman Derek McCawley added a two-run double to fuel a three-run outburst in the third inning to lift William Woods University in the opener.
Watson's two-out solo shot in the first put the Owls (15-8) on top in the nightcap. He then delivered the game-winner, a two-run homer with no outs in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie.
Watson finished 3-for-4, including an RBI double in the third, and scored three runs to spark William Woods' nine-hit attack. Sophomore shortstop Jacob Harrison - a Fulton graduate - was also 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
Senior third baseman Adam Wojciechowski went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the third.
Junior Andrew Pointer, the fourth of seven pitchers used by the Owls, picked up his first victory of the season. Pointer (1-0) gave up three hits in 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out one.
Senior reliever Alex Cann also threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to record his eighth save of the season. Cann struck out four and walked one.
Wilson was 1-for-3 and McCawley went 1-for-4 in the first game as William Woods ended up with six hits. Senior center fielder Stephen Thoenen finished 1-for-3, driving in the Owls' other run with a single in the seventh.
Junior Zach Secoy - the second of five pitchers who collectively limited UMSL (5-9) to three hits - tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. Secoy (1-1) didn't allow a hit, had one strikeout and issued a walk.
Cann was credited with the save, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He also didn't give up a hit, struck out two and walked one.
William Woods plays a four-game American Midwest Conference series at Hannibal-LaGrange University, starting with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday. The two teams will wrap up the series with a noon doubleheader Saturday.
Westminster softball..........10...11
Hendrix (Ark.) College.........9...10
Freshman outfielder Lori Jones' solo home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning in Tuesday's nightcap allowed the host Lady Blue Jays to pick up their first wins of the season.
Westminster College also triumphed in the first game in dramatic fashion when freshman infielder Rai'an Harris' one-out sacrifice fly drove in freshman outfielder Becca Rose from third base with the winning run.
Hendrix (6-14) raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second game, but the Lady Blue Jays (2-5) rallied to take a one-run advantage. The Lady Warriors tied the game in the sixth, setting the stage for Jones - who hit her first collegiate home run to lift Westminster.
Rose collected three hits, including the first home run of her college career in the third, and scored three runs to pace the Lady Blue Jays at the plate. Senior infielder Brittany Moreno also had three hits.
Freshman Sarah Schneider earned the victory in relief for Westminster. Schneider gave up eight runs - four earned - on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Jones provided two hits and knocked in four runs in the opener to guide the Lady Blue Jays. Moreno, sophomore catcher Morgan Shipley and freshman pitcher Brittany Lee contributed two hits apiece.
Lee went the distance to claim the win, allowing nine runs - seven earned - on 16 hits. She struck out six and walked two.
Westminster opens play in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference round-robin in St. Louis with games Friday against Eureka (Ill.) College (6 p.m.) and Blackburn (Ill.) College (8 p.m.). The Lady Blue Jays continue the round-robin with games Saturday against Principia University (noon) and Greenville (Ill.) College (2 p.m.).
Lady Owls' Schulte chosen
for AMC softball honor
William Woods University's Kelsey Schulte on Tuesday was selected the American Midwest Conference softball pitcher of the week.
Schulte - a junior from Honey Creek - went 1-1 last week during William Woods' spring-break trip to Mississippi and Alabama. She allowed just one earned run in 11 innings of work, scattering 11 hits while striking out five.