Softball coach resigns\nThe IU athletics department announced Wednesday that IU softball coach Sara Hayes Nottger has resigned to pursue other opportunities.\nIU must now replace a coach who in a short time helped turn a struggling program into a competitive contender for postseason play.\n"Sara has worked extremely hard in her two years here," said Athletics Director Terry Clapacs. "We appreciate her efforts and wish her well in the future."\nThe 2003-04 season was only Nottger's second at IU, but the Hoosiers' 32 wins were the program's most since 1996. The team finished with a 32-31 overall record, becoming only the eighth team in school history to reach the 30-win plateau.\nIU hit 35 home runs in 2004, more than any team in school history, and the pitching staff struck out 404 batters, the second-most at IU.\nOff the field, Nottger and her staff worked tirelessly to promote the program. They began the "Pinch Hitter" newsletter that is mailed out to friends and alumni of the program. In addition, there have been vast improvements to the varsity softball field, including a new state-of-the-art scoreboard and flagpoles.
Hoosier shortstop named Player of \nthe Year \nIU senior shortstop Seth Bynum, who recently signed a professional contract with the Montreal Expos, was named the District V Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Bynum was also tabbed as the second-team All-Mideast Regional team shortstop.\nNine collegiate baseball players were named District Player of the Year, with Bynum claiming the top spot in District V, which includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana.\n"Seth had an outstanding year for us," said IU coach Bob Morgan. "He led our team in most offensive categories and was one of the best in the Big Ten. He really made a big jump offensively between his junior and senior seasons. I feel that if our team had a better year, he would have been the Big Ten Player of the Year. We have had a long line of outstanding shortstops here at Indiana, and Seth has joined that elite group."\nBynum finished the 2004 season ranked in the top 10 among Big Ten players in several offensive categories on his way to earning first-team honors at shortstop. Bynum started in all 109 games he played in during his two seasons at IU. The Louisville, Ky., native was recognized by Baseball America as Midseason All-American in April.\nBynum now begins his professional career with the Montreal Expos. He was drafted in the 38th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft and is currently applying his trade at the Expos single-A affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats of the South Atlantic League.
