Bracamonte and Weigle Named to Big Ten All-Tournament Team
5/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State freshman Jessica Bracamonte (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) and junior Kara Weigle (Naples, Fla.) were named to the 2008 Big Ten Softball All-Tournament Team following the championship game at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill. The conference honors are the first for Bracamonte and Weigle. The Spartans defeated sixth-ranked Michigan, 2-1, in the opening round before stumbling against Iowa, 13-4, in the semifinals. Together, Bracamonte and Weigle accounted for four of MSU's five total RBI as well as seven of the total 15 hits at the tournament.
Kara Weigle, a junior utility player for the Spartans who spends most of her time in left field, averaged a team-high .667 at the plate through the two tournament games, going 4-for-6 with one double and two RBI. Weigle batted in two runs against Iowa with a two-out double to left-center field in the bottom of the second inning, sending Traci Nicosia and Bracamonte around the diamond. The double was Weigle's third of the year and 12th of her career.
Against Michigan, Weigle went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, but more importantly threw out Michigan's Alessandra Giampaolo as she rounded third in the bottom of the fifth. Giampaolo was trying to score from second base after Angela Findlay roped out a single to Weigle in left field. But Weigle's near-perfect throw reached Caitlin Mahoney, who was guarding the plate, right in time to get the inning's final out and keep the game tied at 1-1. In the next inning, Bracamonte singled to drive in the game-winning RBI.
Weigle finished the season batting .294 with three doubles, two triples and two home runs, while driving in 21 runs and scoring 19 runs herself. She entered the tournament weekend averaging 0.31 sacrifice hits per game, good 13th in the nation. This year Weigle had 18 sacrifices - all bunts - while hitting in the No. 2 spot.
Jessica Bracamonte, the Spartans' freshman right fielder, went 3-for-6 in tournament action, while driving in two RBI, one in each game. Bracamonte's RBI against Michigan held on to be the game-winner in the top of the sixth. Mahoney was on second base - after walking and advancing on Gina Mondo's ground out - when Bracamonte singled to right field. Mahoney easily scored to put the Spartans ahead 2-1, the eventual final score as MSU upset nationally ranked Michigan for the second-straight year. Against Iowa, Bracamonte had a pair of hits, including a double, while she drove in one run and scored once herself.
Bracamonte wrapped up her rookie season batting .254 with 31 hits, including six doubles, one triple and three homers. She crossed home 17 times and drove in 21 runs.
2008 BIG TEN SOFTBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Michelle Batts - Northwestern
Jessica Bracamonte - Michigan State
Katie Brown - Iowa
Lindsay Digmann - Iowa
Lauren Delaney (MVP) - Northwestern
Erin Dyer - Northwestern
Colleen McGlaughlin - Iowa
Quinn Morelock - Iowa
Natalie Neal - Minnesota
Kelly Quinn - Northwestern
Brianna Sudenga - Minnesota
Kara Weigle - Michigan State
