SOFTBALL | PLAYERS BIOS

#5 Dana Essner | SS/2B/P

Height: 5-6	Academic Major: Nursing
Class: Sr.	Hometown (HS): New Hamburg, Mo. (Thomas W. Kelly)

Biography:
2007: Played in 43 games and pitched in 21 games… at the plate, hit .307 with 39 hits, 25 runs scored and was second on the team with 27 RBI… second on the team with 11 doubles… had a season best seven-game hitting streak… collected two triples, two home runs and had 12 multi-hit games… second on the team with six wins, going 6-6 with one save… struck out 29 hitters in 76.2 innings… had two complete games and one shutout, which came in a no-hitter against Southwest Baptist… in consecutive games against Southwest Baptist and Northwest Missouri State, collected two hits and two RBI in each game… in a win against Lindenwood, went 4-for-5 with two runs and a team season high six RBI in the game… went a combined 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI in a doubleheader sweep against Bellarmine… went 5-for-7 with two runs, two RBI, and three doubles in a doubleheader against Olivet Nazarene… got her first win of the season with a no-hitter against Southwest Baptist, going 5.0 innings and striking out six in an 8-0 win, recording UMSL’s first no-hitter since the 1999 season… picked up a win over Bellarmine, going 6.0 innings and giving up just one run on five hits… got a win in relief against Rockhurst, going 3.2 innings and giving up just one run on three hits.

2006: Redshirted for the season.

College: Played two seasons at Meramac Communicty College… helped lead the team to a second place finish in the national tournament.

High School: Played at Tomas W. Kelly High School… hit .310 from the plate, and as a pitcher had a 1.15 ERA on the year as a senior… had just four losses in her career as a pitcher… allowed just 43 runs in over 200 career innings pitched… named an all-conference selection… helped lead team to a conference championship and twice finished third in the state tournament… also played basketball, where she was named to the 2003 all-star team, and participated in track and field.

Personal: Born May 15, 1985… daughter of Thomas and Linda Essner… majoring in nursing.