McKinnon, Knutson and Stacevicz Represent Delaware on All-CAA Softball Second Team; McKinnon Also Named To All-Rookie Squad
May 10, 2011
Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – University of Delaware freshman Michelle McKinnon, sophomore Gina Knutson and junior Amanda Stacevicz were each named to the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Softball Second Team while McKinnon was also selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team at the conference awards banquet Tuesday night.
McKinnon (above right) has started all 53 games during her rookie season including 51 at second base, leading the Blue Hens with a .326 batting average including a .351 average in league contests. She also ranks second on the squad with 45 hits, third with 24 runs scored, and sixth with 14 runs batted in on the campaign, and is third on UD with 10 multi-hit games.
McKinnon posted three-hit games against George Mason, Hofstra and Army during the season, and drilled a grand slam during the Blue Hens’ 13-2 win over UMES on March 13. She also had a big doubleheader at Hampton on March 1, going a combined 3 for 6 with five RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Knutson (at left) earned All-CAA honors for the first time while batting .262 with a team-leading nine home runs and 31 runs batted in on the season. Knutson has appeared in all 53 games for the Blue Hens and started 50, including 43 behind the plate, and is pacing the squad with 10 multi-RBI games during her sophomore campaign.
She went 3 for 3 with a pair of RBI in UD’s 5-4 victory over Saint Joseph’s on April 6, and posted five two-hit games on the season. Knutson knocked home three runs against Hampton and Georgetown, and had a key two-run double during Saturday’s 4-3 triumph over Towson. Her nine home runs this season are the second most in a UD single season, while her 31 RBI are tied for fourth on the Blue Hen list.
Stacevicz (below right) was named to the All-CAA Second Team for the second consecutive season as a designated player/pitcher. Stacevicz again is leading the Blue Hen pitching staff with a 3.04 earned run average and 11 wins, and she has also been productive at the plate with a .265 batting average. Stacevicz has made 33 appearances in the circle including 14 starts for UD, while she has started all but one game in the lineup as the Blue Hens’ cleanup hitter.
Stacevicz ranks second on the team with eight doubles, three home runs and 23 RBI, while her 41 hits are tied for third on the squad. Her 14 multi-hit games are the most on the Blue Hens, and she drilled a three-run homer during the 6-0 victory over Drexel on April 30.
Hofstra first baseman Sara Michalowski was named the CAA Player of the Year, while her teammate Olivia Galati earned CAA Pitcher of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Georgia State pitcher Kaitlyn Medlam was tabbed the CAA Rookie of the Year, while Hofstra’s Bill Edwards and Georgia State’s Rodger Kincaid were named CAA Co-Coaches of the Year.
Delaware finished its regular season 21-32 overall, and placed fourth in the CAA standings with a 10-11 league mark. The Blue Hens open play at the double elimination CAA Tournament on Wednesday with a 2 p.m. game against the top-seeded Pride at the Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Colonial Athletic Association Softball First Team
C - Paige Collings, Drexel
1B - Sara Michalowski, Hofstra
2B - Jess Hirschbuhl, Hofstra
3B - Caitlin Sandy, James Madison
SS - Ashley Burnham, James Madison
OF - Rachel Miller, Towson
OF - Erika Stasch, Towson
OF - Tessa Ziemba, Hofstra
DP/NP - D.J. Slugh, Hofstra
DP/P - Hillary Allen, Drexel
P - Olivia Galati, Hofstra
P - McCall Langford, Georgia State
Second Team
C - Gina Knutson, Delaware
1B - Lauren Jones, Georgia State
2B - Michelle McKinnon, Delaware
3B - Krista Thorn, Hofstra
SS - Paige Nowacki, Georgia State
OF - Jasmine Butler, James Madison
OF - Rachel Campbell, Drexel
OF - Audrey Mason, Georgia State
DP/NP - Brenna Morrisey, Georgia State
DP/P - Amanda Stacevicz, Delaware
P - Katie Lingmai, Towson
P - Kaitlyn Medlam, Georgia State
All-Rookie Team
OF - Comfort Akonkhai, Drexel
IF - Kelsey Byrd, George Mason
OF - Jessica Clifton, Georgia State
UT - Kaila Conlon, George Mason
P - Stephanie Maher, George Mason
2B - Michelle McKinnon, Delaware
P - Kaitlyn Medlam, Georgia State
3B - Caitlin Sandy, James Madison
C - Maddy Stanton, Georgia State
DP/NP - Tiffany Webb, George Mason
CAA Player of the Year: Sara Michalowski, Hofstra
CAA Pitcher of the Year: Olivia Galati, Hofstra
CAA Rookie of the Year: Kaitlyn Medlam, Georgia State
CAA Co-Coaches of the Year: Bill Edwards, Hofstra and Rodger Kincaid, Georgia State
