Aurora University's Spartan women's softball team received preseason recognition for the 2009 season when sophomore outfielder Shannon Starr (Itasca, IL/Lake Park H.S.) was named Division III Softball - The Newsletter preseason Honorable Mention All-American. Starr, in her first collegiate season in 2008, was named National Fastpitch Coaches Association First-Team All-Region, Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) First-Team All-Conference and to the NAC All-Rookie Team. She hit .441 with a team high 44 runs batted in, 31 runs scored, eight doubles, three triples and four home runs. She had a .622 slugging percentage and .475 on-base percentage. Additionally, AU is ranked #30 in the Division III Softball - The Newsletter Preseason Top 25, having received 37 votes in the poll. The Spartans will take on four schools that received votes and are ranked in the Top 30 in the country. AU's women finished the 2008 season with a 37-8 overall record and 23-1 in Northern Athletics Conference action and were the NAC regular season and tournament champions. The conference title is the fifth consecutive for the Spartans and the NCAA softball tournament appearance was the Spartans' third in the last four seasons. The Spartans will open up the 2009 season on Saturday, March 7, when they take on Simpson College at 3:00 p.m. and Albion College at 5:00 p.m. in Orlando, Florida. The contests will take place at the Osceola County Softball Complex. AU will open the northern portion of the season on Wednesday, March 25, when they host Milwaukee School of Engineering in the NAC opener. Game time for the doubleheader is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Stuart Sports Complex in Aurora, IL. -END-