Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Colleges

Saint Leo's Heintz rings up records in pursuit of 1,000 Ks

By STEVE LEE
Published March 21, 2006

ST. LEO - Katie Heintz became Saint Leo's single-game and single-season strikeout leader last season.

Now, she owns the career strikeout mark for the Lions and the Sunshine State Conference.

"It's definitely nice to leave my mark," Heintz said.

The senior southpaw, named an All-American after fanning 360 batters last season, struck out 10 in Wednesday's 8-0 win over Palm Beach Atlantic.

"I knew it was going to happen in that game," Heintz said. "I was expecting it to come."

Heintz (11-6) passed Desi Croteau , a former Land O'Lakes standout who fanned 945 in four seasons (1998-2001) at Saint Leo.

"I know she was a good pitcher," Heintz said of Croteau.

Heading into Monday's home doubleheader against Hillsdale (Mich.), Heintz had 977 strikeouts to rank eighth on the all-time Division II list. Next up is Lindsey Kight , who fanned 985 (2001-04) for Arkansas-Monticello.

Additionally, Heintz has the fourth-best strikeout ratio (10.0 per seven innings) in Division II history.

With 23 regular-season games remaining this year, Heintz is well within reach of the coveted 1,000 mark. Only six Division II players have fanned at least that many.

Throwing from the left side, Heintz said, works in her favor. A lively ball and a pair of catchers ( Erin Brunt and Heather Stroud ) who make Heintz work the strike zone also have factored into Heintz's success.

"I know I have movement on my ball, but there are a lot of pitchers who do," Heintz said. "A lot of the credit should go to my catchers."

While this is the final athletic season for Heintz, it will not be the last academic year. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and has been accepted to Nova Southeastern.

Saint Leo headed into Monday's doubleheader with an 18-9 overall record, 3-3 in the conference.

POWS: No matter which teams they have played for, Lee Cruz and Orlando Rosales consistently rank among the best ballplayers.

Teammates at Pasco High and Pasco-Hernando Community College, Cruz and Rosales now star at Tampa as senior outfielders.

Rosales was named SSC player of the week (March 6-12). It was Cruz's turn last week (March 13-19).

Rosales averaged .571 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in five games. He hit three homers against Concordia on March 6.

In four games, Cruz hit .529 with five homers and 11 RBIs. Cruz belted a two-run homer and drove in six runs in a 16-5 win over UMass-Lowell on March 14.

Cruz and Lowell have helped Tampa win 20 straight and have been key contributors in the team's climb to a No. 1 national ranking in the NCAA Division II poll.

LION KING: Saint Leo outfielder Rhett Teller was named Saint Leo athlete of the week (March 20-26).

Teller, a senior, hit .636 in four games for the Lions (19-8, 1-2 in SSC play). He drove in three, scored twice, hit a double, a homer and walked five times.

Plus, Teller was hit by a pitch three times and leads the team with 12.

THE LIST: February's SSC Commissioners List for Outstanding Achievement included Saint Leo athletes.

That group, listed by sport, is as follows:

Baseball - Ronnie Lowe , Ricky Nolan , Eric Spicer , Teller and Sean VanGuilder ; softball - Heintz, Ashley Urbanik , Christina Van Tassel and Kiki Von Holt ; and women's basketball - Marquita Fenn .

[Last modified March 21, 2006, 02:30:40]