May 7, 2001
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Junior shortstop Katie Crabtree of the softball team and senior pitcher Dave Gassner of the baseball team have been named the Purdue Athletes of the Month for April. The award is sponsored by WLFI-TV 18, Twin City Dodge-Chrysler-Plymouth and the Gimlet Leadership Honorary.
Crabtree led the Boilermaker softball team to an 8-14 overall record and a 6-9 mark in the Big Ten last month while producing outstanding numbers at the plate. Typically the Boilermakers' leadoff hitter, she led the team in seven different offensive categories, including batting average, hits, doubles, runs scored and on-base percentage. Crabtree tallied a .406 average with 26 hits, four RBI and eight runs in 64 at-bats. She walked a team-leading seven times and struck out only twice in 76 total plate appearances. Defensively, she recorded 34 putouts and 78 assists.
Gassner helped lead the Old Gold and Black baseball team to a 16-5 overall record and a 12-4 Big Ten mark during April.
Gassner recorded a 3.12 ERA and a 3-1 record on the mound with wins over Northwestern, Illinois and Indiana. He totaled 26.0 innings pitched in his four starts, while hurling three complete games. Gassner allowed 29 hits and 12 runs, walked five and struck out 32 while facing 106 batters. Gassner's best game came against Indiana, against whom he pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout while striking out nine. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his performance against the Hoosiers.
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