Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Lauren Wible Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Softball Team
6/2/2005 8:00:00 AM | Softball
June 2, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell junior first baseman Lauren Wible has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Wible earned second-team plaudits and becomes Bucknell's 110th Academic All-American, a total that ranks third nationally among Division I institutions.
Wible is the 13th Bucknell softball player to earn Academic All-America recognition, and the first since Lauren Titus in 2002. In order to be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.20 grade-point average into her sophomore year and be a starter or significant reserve.
Wible ended the season with a 16-game hitting streak intact and wrapped up the 2005 campaign with a .524 batting average, which currently ranks second nation and is a new Bucknell and Patriot League record. Arizona's Caitlin Lowe, who is hitting .527 this season, leads the country and will be playing in the Women's College World Series this weekend. Wible's batting average is also the 11th-best in NCAA Division I history.
In addition to her batting average, Wible ranks nationally in a number of other offensive categories. She ranks second in doubles per game (0.39), third in slugging percentage (.903) and 22nd in walks per game (0.63).
A three-time All-Patriot League selection, Wible, who was a co-captain for the second consecutive season in 2005, was the only Bucknell player to play in and start all 38 games this year. She led the team in nearly every offensive category, and with a solo home run against Army in the Patriot League Tournament, extended her own Bucknell single-season record to eight home runs. She also has 14 in her career, which is best in Bucknell history.
The Dover, Pa., native paced the team with 31 runs batted in and broke the Bucknell single-season standard for doubles by collecting 15. She fell just three total bases short of equaling Jenny Snyder's season record of 96. Wible also had at least one hit in 34 of 38 games, including 34 of her last 36, and 27 of her last 28. After going 0-for-7 in her first two games, Wible ended the season on a 54-for-96 (.563) tear.
Along with her offensive prowess, which saw her raise her career average from .305 to .374 this year, Wible had another excellent defensive season. The left-hander committed just three errors in 340 chances for a .991 fielding percentage. She did not commit an error over her final 11 games of the season and has just 12 in her three-year career.
Off the field, the English major owns a 3.75 cumulative GPA and has been a Dean's List member every semester of her college career. An NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete in 2003-04 and the winner of the Charles F. White Memorial Prize for Scholar-Athletes, Wible has been a regular on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. A two-year resident assistant, she is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
Wible is Bucknell's third Academic All-American this year, following Jonathan Hemmert of the Bison men's soccer team and Justin Gibson of the football team.
The only other Patriot League player to be named Academic All-America was Holy Cross' senior outfielder Mary Beth Ryan. She appeared on the third team.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Heather Rakosik, Bucknell posted a 16-22 overall record. The Bison finished 8-10 in Patriot League play and qualified for the Patriot League Tournament for the second consecutive season as the fourth seed.
