STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College Softball Head Coach Jamie Smyth '92 has announced his 2010 Team Awards. Six honors were given to select team members following the Monks' season last spring.
All Out Award: Freshman third baseman Heather Tripp (Lovell, ME)
Tripp, who was primarily a catcher in high school, logged most of her time at third base during her freshman season and showed plenty of potential with the bat in 2010. She hit .286 (16-56) with eight runs, nine RBI, five doubles and a triple and notched a six-game hitting streak last spring. Her strong work ethic and competitive demeanor will certainly pay off in her next three years at St. Joe's.
Most Improved: Sophomore outfielder Katelyn Call (Portland, ME/McAuley)
Call put up a solid offensive season and made 20 starts, 12 in right field, six at designated hitter and two at first base, as a sophomore. She hit .310 (18-58) with 19 runs, three doubles and five RBI for the Monks last spring after hitting .200 (9-45) during her freshman campaign. Look for Call to continue her development in the coming seasons when she will be asked to help fill the shoes of those lost to graduation in 2010.
Dani Waterman Award: Sophomore pitcher Madylan Kluna (Standish, ME)
Kluna takes home the Dani Waterman Award, given annually to the team's top hurler, after leading the St. Joe's staff in appearances (17), ERA (1.79), strikeouts (63), WHIP (1.02), fewest BB/7 (0.71) and opponent's batting average (.246) in 2010. She allowed more than two runs in just three starts as a sophomore and allowed two walks in just one outing all season. For her efforts, Kluna garnered Second Team All-GNAC honors.
Most Valuable Player: Senior shortstop Liddy van der Linden (Worcester, MA)
van der Linden closed out her career with her best offensive season, as the four-year starting shortstop hit .346 (44-127) with career-highs in runs (33), home runs (11), RBI (37), total bases (85), slugging percentage (.669) and on-base percentage (.417) last spring. She earned First Team All-GNAC, All-Tournament and All-Academic Team honors following the season and leaves the program with her name littered throughout the SJC Softball record book. van der Linden is currently ranked second in career home runs (15) and third in at bats (495), hits (170), doubles (36) and RBI (120). She is also tied for fourth in games played with 159 starts, all at the demanding position of shortstop.
Coaches' Award: Junior first baseman Alyssa Dunn(Standish, ME)
Dunn, a three-year starter at first base for Saint Joseph's, posted another tremendous offensive season for the Royal Blue in 2010. She hit .369 (41-11) with 19 runs, 10 doubles, five homers and 30 RBI and sported a .993 fielding percentage with two errors in 280 opportunities last spring. A two-sport athlete (field hockey) and outstanding student as a Pre-Med major, she has been able to juggle her difficult schedule while excelling on and off the field. She has been recognized for her academic efforts as a two-time selection for the GNAC All-Academic and ESPN The Magazine All-Academic District 1 teams and also received First Team All-GNAC and All-Tournament Team honors in 2010.
Gold Glove Award: Senior second baseman Jillian Kimball(Albany Township, ME)
The cornerstone of the infield as the Monks' second baseman, Kimball made five errors in 140 total chances for a .964 fielding percentage during her senior season. She committed one miscue in her final 50 opportunities, with no errors in her last 17 chances in 2010. In her career, she sported a .950 fielding percentage with 22 misplayed balls in 440 chances and committed two errors in a game just once in 153 games over four seasons.
St. Joe's posted a 30-10 overall record and went 21-3 in GNAC play in 2010 under Coach Smyth, who has served as the SJC skipper for 13 seasons. The Monks tied a Saint Joseph's Athletics record with 23 consecutive victories and earned the #2 seed in the conference tournament for the second-straight year last spring.
