April 5, 2004

BOCA RATON, FL - For the second time this season and the fifth time in her softball career, Florida Atlantic University's Candice Freel has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher-of-the-Week. The honor comes after Freel went 3-0 in three starts last week. The performance included a near-perfect game against Gardner-Webb on April 2.

Freel is on a career-best 12-game winning streak and leads FAU with an 18-6 record. She started her week with a three-hit 2-0 shutout at Florida International on March 31. She followed that up with a 4-0 one-hitter against GWU. In that game, she retired the first 20 batters before surrendering a two-out seventh inning single. The junior completed her week with a 2-1, 5-hit complete game against FIU on April 4.

Freel has not lost since February 29. Since that time, she has gone 12-0 with a 0.42 ERA. Overall, she has thrown eight shutouts and is striking out 7.6 batters per seven innings.

Freel's winning streak has paralleled FAU's success as the Owls have posted a 23-4 record since the beginning of March. Overall, FAU is 38-13 and is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Top-25 and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25 polls.

Florida Atlantic next faces Campbell April 10 in an A-Sun doubleheader at FAU Field.