Valparaiso University sophomore baseball player Nate Palace (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) and junior track and field athlete Sarah Peters (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) have been named the athletic department’s Student-Athletes of the Month for March.

Palace led the Crusader baseball team offensively during the month of March as Valpo tallied nine wins, including a 5-3 start to Horizon League play. The sophomore hit .351 for the month, hitting safely in 14 of 18 games, including nine multi-hit efforts. Palace scored 21 runs and tallied 29 RBIs over the 18 games while connecting for 10 doubles and five home runs. He was named National Player of the Week by College Baseball Insider on March 11, as well as Horizon League Batter of the Week, following a series at USC Upstate which included a 3-for-6, two-HR, seven-RBI game.

Peters opened the month by besting her own program record in the pole vault on the biggest stage possible, clearing 11’10” in the event at the Horizon League Indoor Championships to claim the league title by nearly four inches.  She then opened the outdoor campaign strong as well, earning league Female Field Athlete of the Week accolades after winning the Edmonds Invitational, clearing 11’5”.  Peters closed the month with a 13^th-place finish at North Carolina State’s Raleigh Relays.