Friday, May 28, 2004

MORAVIAN’S HEATHER BORTZ FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), a junior on the 2004 Moravian College softball team, is one of seven people featured in Faces in the Crowd in the May 31st issue of Sports Illustrated available on newsstands today.

Bortz, a shortstop for the Greyhounds, is featured for setting an All-Division NCAA record back on the Saturday, April 17th. Bortz had a 44-game hitting streak from April 15, 2003 until April 17, passing the NCAA all-division record of 43 set by Sara Graziano at Coastal Carolina University from April 8 1993 to March 24, 1994.

The previous NCAA Division III record was 36 games set by Jill Van Wychen of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from March 16 to April 27, 2003. During her streak, Bortz was 80 for 159, a .503 batting average with 28 multiple hit games. Moravian also had a 40-4 record during the hitting streak.

Bortz has earned many honors this season including being named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She was also a Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American, one of two for the Greyhounds this season, the first two in school history.

Moravian finished the 2004 season with a 40-6 record, a school record for victories, and was the runner-up at the 2004 NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia, falling to the University of St. Thomas (MN), 2-0, in the national championship game, Moravian's first-ever trip to the World Series.