Eight different players from the Concordia University, Nebraska softball team were honored on 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) All-Conference team. The list, released on Tuesday afternoon, consists of 18 first-team members, 18 second-team members and an honorable mention list. Senior shortstop Samantha Hellbusch and freshman Clarissa Eloge were named to the first-team while senior pitcher Sarah Bergen, freshman outfielder Nicole Baker, senior outfielder Christy Jeppesen and junior catcher Charlotte Kaeding were tabbed as second-team selections. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Huckestein and junior outfielder Anne Royuk were named honorable mention.
Hellbusch (Creston, Neb.) had a batting average of .409 on the season, driving in 34 runs on 47 hits. She also had four stolen bases. Defensively, she had a fielding percentage of .936. This is the third consecutive year she has been a first-team All-GPAC selection.
Eloge (Rising City, Neb.) had a batting average of .382 on the season, driving in 27 runs on 42 hits. Eloge also had 11 extra-base hits: seven doubles, a triple and three home runs. As one of the top defensive third basemen in the GPAC, Eloge only had eight errors in 101 chances.
Bergen (St. Charles, Mo.), the senior ace of the Bulldog pitching staff, led Concordia with 13 wins in 19 appearances. She also had 13 complete games with a 4.26 ERA. Begen helped her own cause by hitting .340 with 10 RBIs on 17 hits.
Baker (Arvada, Colo.), a freshman, had a batting average of .363 while driving in 27 runs on 45 hits. She also had 12 stolen bases on 14 attempts.
Jeppesesn (Pleasant Dale, Neb.) batted leadoff for the Bulldogs and led the team with 48 hits. She was second on the team in RBIs with 30 while leading the team with 75 total bases. Defensively, she had just five errors.
Kaeding (Westminster, Colo.), the starting catcher for the Bulldogs, missed four games due to injury and still hit .309 with 30 hits and 24 RBIs. Defensively, Kaeding had just five errors in 192 chances.