Miranda Kramer named C-USA Female Athlete of the Year

West Burlington, Iowa senior Miranda Kramer winds up on the pitching mound during the softball double header against Florida Atlantic, Saturday, April 4. Leanora Benkato/ HERALD

HERALD SPORTS STAFF

Former WKU pitcher Miranda Kramer was named Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year, the league announced last week.

Kramer linked up with her former Indiana University Purdue University—Fort Wayne coach Amy Tudor as a senior transfer on the Hill last season, and what ensued will go down as one of the most dominating seasons ever put forth by any WKU athlete—male or female.

In her 38 appearances as a Lady Topper, Kramer threw 29 double-digit strikeout games, and led the nation with 439 strikeouts, 12.6 strikeouts per seven innings and 2.88 hits allowed per seven innings on her way to being named WKU softball’s first ever National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, leading the Lady Toppers to a regular season and conference tournament crown.

Kramer is the only Lady Topper ever to pitch a perfect game, and racked up three no-hitters in a senior season that saw the West Burlington, Iowa native drafted sixth overall by the Pennsylvania Rebellion, a National Pro Fastpitch team.

Prior to being named C-USA Female Athlete of the Year, Kramer was recognized as C-USA Pitcher of the Year as well as C-USA Newcomer of the Year.  She was named C-USA pitcher of the week eight times, a league record.

The southpaw knocked off three top-25 opponents in her lone Lady Topper season, and her 180 strikeouts against league opponents is a conference record. She is the only Lady Topper in program history to be named a finalist for the USA softball player of the year.