No seniors this spring? No problem.

"Actually," Bown said, "it's the junior class that started us on our upward trend."

Led by five juniors, the Norse are enjoying their best season in school history. Their school-best 32-2 start leaves them four games shy of tying the program's single-season wins record - and they've only hit the schedule's halfway point.

Bown was elated when the team started 18-0, although she wasn't overly surprised. The team boasts 'The Rock', better known as junior catcher Megan Owens, starter of 28 of the first 32 games. There's 'The Pitcher', junior Emily Breitholle, a former teammate of 'The Rock' at Fairfield High. Not to mention 'The First Baseman' in Angie Lindeman, 'The Transfer' in third baseman Sara Becker (a newcomer from Kishwaukee College in Illinois), and 'The Outfielder' in center fielder Stephanie Leimbach.

As freshmen, Owens, Breitholle, Lindeman and Leimbach guided the team to a 36-13 record and a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in school history. As sophomores, they propelled the team to a 36-17 mark, another trip to the postseason and a school-first first-round win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

Bown anticipates the Norse, ranked No. 8 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, will make a trip to the Elite Eight in the not-so-distant future. Her players do, too.

"It's awesome," said Leimbach. "Everyone's been so positive. It's like, 'What else can we do next?' "

Crushing offensive skills have played a big role in their wins, including a 4-0 streak in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Leimbach, the team's hitting leader, was named the GLVC Player of the Week on March 23. Before Saturday's games she was batting .380 with six doubles, a triple and 15 RBI. Lindeman touts seven doubles, four triples, a home run and a team-high 24 RBI.

The team pride starts with its pitching, with its three-woman staff posting a combined 0.43 ERA. Entering the weekend, sophomore Sarah Newland was 4-0 with a 0.76 ERA and Breitholle was 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA. And then there's Krystal Lewallen, who was 18-1 with a 0.17 ERA and 153 strikeouts.

That's Krystal Lewallen, sophomore. Last week she surpassed the school's career strikeouts record and is innings away from being the second hurler in NKU history to earn a 20-win season. She was named the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II national player of the week and GLVC pitcher of the week.

"I'm surprised about the record," said Lewallen, who has 343 career strikeouts. "I thought it would take a little bit longer to do."

She developed her rise ball over the summer, giving her even more tools on the mound. Bown said Lewallen's feat is even more unbelievable because the pitcher shrugs off attention.

But that's the way the team works, with little individual attention called to its many shining stars.

"They have goals and they're hell-bent on achieving them," Bown said. "It's definitely the most talented and focused team I've ever had."

Others

Marietta senior catcher Mike Shrimpton (Sycamore) hit three home runs in the Pioneers' conference opener against Muskingum and was named Ohio Athletic Conference baseball hitter of the week. Shrimpton hit a solo shot and a grand slam in the first-game victory and added another homer in the second game. In three games last week, he hit .455 (5-for-11) with three runs and eight RBI.

Amberly Klein (Ursuline Academy) helped lead San Jose State University to the Mountain Pacific Conference Gymnastics Championship. Klein, a sophomore and two-time conference balance beam champion, was named all-conference on vault and beam. She also competed in the NCAA West Regional at Oregon State April 3.

Wilmington College women's basketball coach Jerry Scheve was named College Coach of the Year by the Ohio Youth Sports Association, the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Women's Sports Association and the Molten/DIII News. Scheve led the Lady Quakers to the school's first NCAA Division III title.

Jenny Fette has been named the new head volleyball and women's tennis coach at Thomas More College. A Cincinnati native, Fette spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Florida State, where she helped the Seminoles to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002.

Miami University junior Mike Ferris (Colerain) was named Mid-American Conference East Division player of the week for the third time, and freshman hurler Keith Weiser (Talawanda) garnered his second kudo of the season. In four games, Ferris was 6-for-13 (.462) with six RBI, six walks, three runs and a home run. Weiser notched his second Pitcher of the Week honor after registering a 0.00 ERA in two outings last week. The freshman pitched 1.1 innings of relief against Cincinnati to open the week, then recorded his league-leading fifth win of the season in his conference debut against Ohio.

Miami sophomore pitcher Courtney Salmon was named Mid-American Conference East Division pitcher of the week after leading the RedHawks to a 4-1 record last week. Over the weekend she posted a 2-0 record with a save, a 0.46 ERA and 16 strikeouts.

Miami freshman Lashonda Davis was named the Mid-American Conference's Track and Field athlete of the week after setting a school record in the long jump. She cleared 20 feet, 7 3/4 inches, a new record by 18 1/2 inches.

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E-mail srussell@enquirer.com