Four Huskers Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors

Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Four Nebraska softball players were among the 48 student-athletes named to the Big 12 Conference Softball Academic All-Big 12 Team announced Wednesday.

The Huskers selected to the first team senior shortstop Amanda Buchholz (middle grades education), senior catcher Amber Burgess (communication studies) and senior center fielder Kim Ogee (family and consumer science. NU junior pitcher Peaches James (sociology) was named to the second team.

Ogee is making her third appearance on the academic first team, while Burgess was recognized on the second team in 2001 and the first team in 2002. Buchholz was an first-team academic All-Big 12 selection last season, while James was honored for the first time.

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the softball academic all-league squad consisted of 30 first team members with 18 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or better grade-point average while the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Pitchers must have at least one inning pitched per game played by the team or have appeared in 35 percent of their team's total games. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.