The Missouri Valley Conference released its 25-Year Anniversary softball team today including two Salukis to the team in Amy Harre and Erin Stermsterfer-Civey.
Harre and Stremsterfer-Civey both played for the Salukis in the mid-2000’s, the Saluki softball program’s most successful decade. The Valley’s release of the team is part of a celebration of women’s athletics in the MVC. To help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and the 25th anniversary of women’s sports in the MVC, the Valley is naming 25-Year Anniversary Teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored women’s sports.
In total, 10 players were named to the team. Southern’s two selections is tied for the most in the league; Illinois State and Creighton also had two selections. The team was narrowed down from a list of 38 nominees to 25 finalists in the fall. Each institution that has sponsored softball in the Valley submitted two ballots.
The selected team is as follows:
Tara Oltman, Creighton, 2007-10*
Renae Sinkler, Creighton, 2007-10
Dani Tyler, Drake, 1992-95
Jessica Huff, Evansville, 1998-2001
Heather Stella, Illinois State, 1996-99
Kara Nelson, Illinois State, 2007-11
Barb Gaines, Missouri State, 1990-93
Linsay Wood Stanford, Northern Iowa, 1999-2002
Amy Harre, Southern Illinois, 2002-05
Erin Stremsterfer-Civey, Southern Illinois, 1998-2001
*Denotes No. 1 Selection
Stremsterfer-Civey played for the Salukis from 1998-2001. Stremsterfer-Civey is one of the best two-way players in program history. She is in the top-10 all-time at SIU in hits, at-bats, home runs, steals, innings pitched, appearances, wins, complete games, winning percentage, strikeouts, ERA and shutouts. She holds single-season SIU records in innings pitched, wins, appearances, complete games and strikeouts. Her 364 strikeouts in 2001 is only three short of the most in Conference history.
She was a third-team All-American in 2001 and made the All-MVC team from 1999-01. She was the Valley’s pitcher of the year in 2001 and made the All-MVC Tournament team in 1998, 2000 and 2001. In 2001, she was named as SIU’s Female Athlete of the Year and was a two-time recipient of the Virginia Gordon Award.
Stremsterfer-Civey set a single-game program record when she swiped four bags in a single-game on March 18, 2000 against Fordham. Stremsterfer-Civey threw two no-hitters and a perfect game in her career. Her first no-hitter came on February 20, 2000 against Syracuse, a game in which the Salukis lost. She is the only player to throw a no-hitter in a game which the Salukis lost in program history. On April 12, 2000 against Western Kentucky, she threw a perfect game and on February 24, 2001, she no-hit New Mexico State; it was the only no-hitter in an extra-inning game in program history. She was part of the pitching staff that set a program-record for saves in a season with 11 in 2000. She was named as the Valley’s Pitcher of the Week 10 times, the third-most in MVC history. In 2001, she struck out 17 batters in an MVC Tournament game against Creighton, which is tied for the most in an MVC Tournament game.
Harre pitched at Southern from 2002-2005 and is arguably the best pitcher in program history. The Nashville, Illinois, native hold the MVC records for career shutouts with 49 and is second all-time in MVC history with 84 wins. She was an All-MVC Selection all four years and was the Valley’s Rookie of the Year in 2000. In 2005, she was named as the Valley’s pitcher of the year. Harre’s collegiate career made her the No. 1 overall pick in 2005 at the National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft. She won 13 MVC Pitcher of the Week honors, which is tied for the most in program history. Harre was just as good in the classroom; she was a three-time Academic All-American selection.
Harre pitched in the NCAA Tournament three times and was named the NCAA Regional-Tournament Team twice.
Harre had three no-hitters in her career, two came in 2003 against Bethune-Cookman and Saint Louis. In 2005, she no-hit Evansville on April 19. Harre holds single-season SIU records in starts with 34, which she did twice. She also recorded the three highest single-season shutout totals in program history. Her 14 shutouts in 2004 is a program-record.
Harre threw the most innings is SIU history with 820.1. She also has the most wins, appearances, complete games and shutouts of any Saluki pitcher in program history. Her career ERA of 1.06, is the second-best in school history and just one one-hundredth of a point less than the all-time record.
This story was originally written by Tony McDaniel and first appeared on SIUSalukis.com.
