(Posted April 15, 2002)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Senior Matt Slagel (Spring Grove/Spring Grove), a catcher on the baseball team, and sophomore Becky Herr (Hamburg/Hamburg), a first baseman for the softball team, were named the Juniata College "Athletes of the Month" for March.

Slagel is a team captain this spring. On March 3, against Moravian in Sarasota, Fla., he was 3 for 4 at the plate. Of his three hits, two were doubles. For the day, he knocked in one run and scored twice to help lead the Eagles to victory. The next day, in the second game of a twin bill with the Greyhounds, he went 2 for 3 and connected on his third home run of the young season. On March 5, Slagel went 2 for 2 at the plate, including a home run against Bluffton. He also had two RBI and scored three runs.
During the 14-game span, he posted an eight-contest hitting streak and hit a home run in three straight outings. For the month, he amassed a .386 batting average, six doubles and a .795 slugging percentage to lead the Eagles in all three categories. He tied for team honors in runs and hits with 17 each, and tied for second on the squad in home runs by belting four. For the year, Slagel is hitting .324 and leads the unit in doubles with 10. He is third on the team in hits (23), runs scored (21) and home runs (4).
The Eagles are currently 11-13 on the season and will travel to Albright on Friday for a 3:30 p.m. single game.


In the second game of the season on March 8, Herr stepped to the plate twice and hit successfully in both trips. She knocked in two runs and walked once against Virginia Wesleyan in its own tournament. On March 16, in the second game of a double-dip with host Widener, Herr went 3 for 4 at the plate. She belted two doubles and a home run en route to finishing with two RBI a walk and a run scored. On March 27, in the first game of a two-contest set with Penn State-Altoona, she went 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored. That two-game stretch upped her batting average107 points to .370.
For the month, Herr batted .333 with two doubles and 11 hits. She was tops on the squad for the month with RBI (11) and home runs (2), and was second on the team in runs scored with eight.
On the season, Herr is batting .333 with three doubles and a .521 slugging percentage. She leads the team with 11 RBI and two home runs. She has scored 10 runs and has 16 hits so far in 20002. She currently owns a .985 fielding percentage with just two errors on 131 chances.
The Eagles are currently 10-8 on the season and will host Moravian on Saturday for a 2 p.m. Commonwealth Conference double-dip showdown.

The Juniata College "Athlete of the Month" award is sponsored by McDonald's of Huntingdon and Mount Union. Barb and John Eastman, who own and operate the local McDonald's restaurants, provide the winners with plaques.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.