FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009

Whitney Clute named MIAA Player of the Week

Kansas City, Mo. - After a record-setting weekend, Missouri Southern junior Whitney Clute has been named the MIAA Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Clute, a 5-foot-5 junior from Webb City, Mo., hit .625 (10-of-16) with five home runs, 13 runs batted in and six runs scored as the Lions posted a 3-2 record during the Pittsburg State Invitational last weekend (March 13-14).

She became the seventh player in MIAA history to hit three home runs in one game -- the first since Washburn's Tish Williams did it in April 2007 -- in Southern's 12-2 win over Northwest Missouri State Saturday (March 14). She was 4-for-4 with seven RBI, and added a double to total 14 total bases for the game.

In the tournament opener Friday (March 13) against Bellevue (Neb.), Clute was 3-for-4 with with a homer and four RBI as the Lions won by a 10-2 score. She was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in MSSU's 5-3 win over Fort Hays State later in the day.

The three home runs in a game ties a Missouri Southern record, while the seven RBIs and 14 total bases are new Southern records.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow when Southern travels to Lawton, Okla. to take on Cameron in a double-header at 1 pm.