Athletics News

(Photo of Kyle Harvey, left, by Ron Macklin; Photo of Natalie Suciu, right, by Chris Steiger)

SEGUIN, Texas – Senior baseball player Kyle Harvey and senior softball player Natalie Suciu are the 2008-09 Texas Lutheran Athletics Sportsmanship award winners after a vote of TLU head coaches.

 

Harvey, a three-year starter in center field for the Bulldogs, was nominated by his head coach, Greg Burnett.

 

“Kyle possesses a tremendous work ethic and gets along with his teammates very well,” said Burnett. “Just in general, he is a great young man with high character.”

 

Suciu, a four-year starter in the outfield, was nominated by Missy Steiger, TLU’s head coach for softball.

 

“(Suciu) was the first one to congratulate someone on a good play they made, whether it was on our team or on the opposing team,” said Steiger. “She always had a good attitude and was determined to be a team leader on and off the field. She was always supportive of athletes in our program and of athletes in other TLU programs.”

 

Harvey was a team leader on the Bulldogs’ 2009 American Southwest Conference West Division Championship squad. In his TLU career, Harvey recorded 131 runs scored, 150 hits, 13 home runs (including two inside-the-park HRs), 75 RBI, and a career batting average of .370.

 

In the 2009 season, Harvey set the new conference record for steals in a single season at 30. He finished his career with 75 steals - second on the TLU all-time list to Dax Kiefer’s 90. Harvey also ranks second, by just two steals, in the conference record book for career stolen bases.

 

Suciu, a four-year starter, started all 38 games for TLU in 2009 and hit .229. She scored 20 runs and led the team in triples, with four. She also drove in 13 runs, stole 11 bases, and walked a team-high 14 times (tied with Hatley).

 

Suciu was named to the ASC West Division Second Team in 2009. She was an ASC West Honorable Mention selection in 2007 and 2008. Suciu finished her career with 47 steals, 62 runs scored, and 33 RBI.