Georgia Southern’s Melissa Laliberte was tabbed the Southern Conference’s pitcher of the week Monday.
 The senior wins player of the week laurels for the fourth time in her career.
 Laliberte was nearly unhittable in the circle last week, earning a 3-0 record in three outings without giving up a run. She pitched three hitless innings in an 8-0 win over Grambling on Friday before allowing just four hits in nine innings over the next two games against Birmingham-Southern (3-0) and Samford (8-0).
    The Cobourg, Ontario native led a GSU pitching staff that hurled a school-record five straight shutouts while capturing the Magic City Classic championship in dominating fashion.
    Laliberte is 6-2 with a 2.00 earned run average in 2008.

Brown, Atwood recognized by media
    Georgia Southern seniors Shawnda Atwood and Tiffany Brown were named to the all-Southern Conference second team by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association (SCSMA) Monday.
    Atwood finished up the regular season as one of the conference’s best scorers and rebounders, tallying 10 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, numbers that both ranked 12th in the league.  She paced the team in rebounds per game, and was second on the team in points.  She claims five career double-doubles, including a pair this season.
    Battling injuries to stay healthy throughout her career, this is the first such honor for Atwood.
    “It’s gratifying for me as a coach,” said coach Rusty Cram.  “With the price she’s paid to play these four years, what a great honor it is for her to receive that award.”
    Leading the team and ranking seventh in the league in points per game (11.5), Brown fulfilled her preseason all-SoCon honors, becoming the program’s 17th player to notch 1,000 points and by helping lead the team to its best record (17-12) since the 2002-03 season (20-10). She currently tallies 1,144 points, which ranks 13th all-time, while also recording 167 career steals, seventh-best in the school record book.
    The honor by the media is her second such award by the SCSMA during her career, having received the same award at the close of the 2006-07 regular season.
    “It’s a tribute to her of what she’s accomplished in her four years, and that she was able to finish up her career with such an honor,” said Cram.