The Lone Star Conference office held its softball awards banquet on Thursday night, and Eastern New Mexico University was well represented. Junior first baseman Erikka Burke earned Second Team All-LSC honors, while shortstop Susannah Chandler made third team.
The selections marked the third time in Chandler’s career she has earned All-LSC honors. Burke’s selection was her first. The pair’s play lifted the Greyhounds to their first 20-win season since 2007, with 10 victories in LSC play.
The duo were among the top defensive players in the conference this season, with Chandler leading the league in assists (126), while Burke’s 354 putouts also was first in the LSC. Both totals ranked in the top five on the ENMU single-season list. Burke was second in double plays (17), while Chandler was tied for third (13).
Chandler was sixth in the LSC with 14 doubles and batted .303 for the season. She was second in the team in homeruns (8) and runs batted in (32). Chandler posted 15 multiple-hit games over the season and drove in multiple runs on 11 occasions. She registered a superlative game against Southeastern Oklahoma, and went three-for-four at the plate with a pair of homers and a double.
Burke was 22nd in the nation in homeruns and ranked in the LSC top ten in numerous categories, which included (slugging percentage (10th), runs batted in (9th), doubles (7th), and homers (4th). She also tied for the lead in sacrifice flies. Her 13 homeruns tied for second most in program history. Burke paced the squad with 17 multiple-hit games and drove in multiple runs 12 times. She had a three-game homerun streak in February. Late in the season, she batted three-for-four at Oklahoma Panhandle with four runs batted in, a double and homerun.
