« Softball 2010

Liane Horiuchi

School
Purdue University
Position
Shortstop
Major
Movement and Sport Sciences
AVG
.319
R
27
H
23
FLD%
.982
ERA
-
W-L
-
RBI
17

Classroom

Horiuchi received Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-District V first team acclaim in 2009. The Wahiawa, Hawaii, native transferred to Purdue from Tennessee to focus on academics with the goal of getting into pharmacy school. She carries a 3.81 GPA in the movement and sport sciences major.

Character

Horiuchi helped guide the Boilermaker squad into the post-season in 2008 and 2009, sharing her experience that she gathered while at Tennessee. She has been a steady presence on the field and filled a variety of roles for the team in order for them to be successful. One of Horiuchi ‘s favorite quotes resonates from her youth in Hawai’i. The phrase ‘Kulia i ka nuu’, a school motto which means “Strive for the summit” is something she tries to live by.

Community

As part of the Purdue softball team, Horiuchi has participated in a variety of community service activities. She has helped build a home for Habitat for Humanity, read books to local school children and walked to raise money for the Lafayette Food Finders Food Bank. She and her teammates also have helped clean up the Lafayette/West Lafayette area with multiple trash pickup efforts, while supporting the breast cancer cause at a Paint the Town Pink event.

Competition

Horiuchi found success at Tennessee, earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2006, while helping the Lady Vols to the SEC Tournament title and a third place finish at the Women’s College World Series. That season saw her hit .273 with three home runs and 15 RBI. As a sophomore, she contributed 14 stolen bases and committed just one error in 71 games for the UT team which won the SEC and was the runnerup at the WCWS. Since transferring to Purdue, Horiuchi has brought that successful attitude and drive to the Boilermaker dugout. In 2008, despite being on the sidelines after transferring, she helped the Purdue squad to its first ever NCAA Regional berth. In 2009, Horiuchi made her impact felt on the field, leading the team with a .348 batting average, 43 runs and a perfect 42-for-42 season record setting effort on the basepaths en route to second team All-Big Ten honors at third base. Whether it was with a base hit, being patient at the plate in a walk, being hit by a pitch or stealing a base, Horiuchi did whatever it took to give the team its best chance at a score and a win. She ranked among the nation’s top five in hit by pitches per game (4th with 0.41), stolen bases per game (5th with 0.82), as well as 33rd in on-base percentage (.500), 44th in triples (4) and 51st in runs per game (0.84). She also was the Big Ten’s best in stolen bases, hit by pitch, triples and defensive assists. Behind her efforts, the Boilermakers made their second straight NCAA Regional appearance and advanced to the regional championship game.