Temple University Athletics
ESQUER NAMED A-10 SOFTBALL CO-ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AS THREE OWLS EARN ALL CONFERENCE HONORS
5.8.02 | Softball
Since the Atlantic 10 began naming an All-Conference Softball team in 1984, the Owls have had three student-athletes named to the squad on only three other occasions, in 1989, 1987 and 1985.
Esquer has played in 46 games (46 starts) and is batting ,279 with nine doubles, two home runs, 16 RBI and 53 total bases. She is batting .362 with runners in scoring position. Defensively, she has 92 assists and 50 putouts. Esquer was named the league's rookie of the week on April 1 after leading Temple to a three-game sweep of cross-town rival Saint Joseph's. She becomes the Owls' second A-10 Rookie of the Year after Angel Prinos, who received the honor in 1991.
Pflueger, a junior, is now a two-time member of the A-10 All-Conference Team, after receiving the honor last season, when she was also a Mid-Atlantic Region All-American. Both a first baseman and pitcher, she was named to the all-league team at first base after leading the league and setting a Temple record with 42 RBI this season. Pflueger has also tied the Temple single-season record by hitting six home runs. She is batting .295 in 48 games (48 starts) with nine doubles and a .500 slugging percentage. On the mound, Pflueger has a 9-10 record and a 2.26 ERA.
Grace, a sophomore outfielder, has also etched her name in the Temple record books this season with 30 RBI and five home runs. In addition to leading the team with 11 doubles, she has a .309 batting average, 30 runs and a .496 slugging percentage in all 49 games (49 starts). Grace is batting .349 with runners in scoring position. On April 29, she was named the league's player of the week after leading Temple to a three game sweep, consisting of all shutouts, of Saint Bonaventure.
Weigle, a sophomore, joins Grace in the outfield. This season, she has tied the Temple record for steals with 18 base path thefts while needing just one more single to tie the single-season mark (53) in that category. Weigle leads the club with a .365 batting average, 54 hits, 34 runs and a .416 on base percentage in all 49 games (49 starts). Defensively, she has 42 putouts and five assists.
Temple (26-23, 15-6 A-10), under the direction of fifth-year head coach Rocci Pignoli, takes on Saint Joseph's tomorrow (Thursday, May 9) at 2:00 p.m. in the first round of the Verizon Atlantic 10 Softball Championships, held in Kingston, R.I., May 9-11. The Owls are the No. 2 seed in the four-team field that also consists of Massachusetts (1) and host Rhode Island (4).
