Bucknell University Athletics
Softball Places Three on All-Patriot League Teams
5/10/2016 4:46:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior Amanda Fazio and sophomore Meghan Kovac were voted to the First Team and senior Mariah Midyette was a Second Team selection on the All-Patriot League Softball Teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Fazio earned her second All-Patriot League nod, adding on to her Second Team selection as a freshman. The senior is the most versatile player in the conference as arguably the top pitcher and a top-10 batter. Her pitching prowess is well known, evident this season by her league-best 1.74 ERA. She also leads the conference in strikeouts with 136 and ranks second in both wins (15) and innings pitched (164.2). Earlier this year, Fazio became the school's all-time leader in strikeouts and has since upped that total to 465.
Batting from the leadoff spot, Fazio is hitting .358, including a .400 average in 17 league games. She ranks in the top five in the Patriot League in runs (31), hits (59), triples (3) and stolen bases (23). She is just three stolen bases away from trying her own school record of 26 that she set last season.
Kovac had a solid freshman season, but has really proven her talents this year as a sophomore. She led the NCAA in batting with an average better than .500 a quarter of the way through the season, and still boasts an impressive average of .402. That ranks second in the Patriot League, just one point behind 2016 Patriot League Player of the Year Kasey McCravey from Army West Point.
Kovac leads the league in slugging (.652), RBIs (40) and doubles (19). The 19 doubles are a Bucknell single-season record. She is also tied for the league lead with six home runs, none bigger than her go-ahead grand slam in a 4-3 win over Colgate. That hit helped her earn Patriot League Player of the Week honors for the third time this season.
Midyette has been a consistent contributor for the Bucknell softball team since she arrived on campus, including 50 starts and a Patriot League All-Tournament Team selection as a freshman, but saved her best season for last. The outfielder is batting .316 with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 13 RBIs. She enters the postseason playing the best softball of her career, with at least one hit in 20 of the last 24 games.
Bucknell is the fourth-seeded team in the Patriot League Tournament, which opens at Lehigh's Leadership Park on Thursday. The Bison will play the top-seeded and defending champion Mountain Hawks at noon. The Mountain Hawks won two of three during the regular season series, but the Bison were 3-2 winners in the final game.
2016 Softball All-Patriot League and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Kasey McCravey, Army West Point, Sr.
Pitcher of the Year: Melanie Russell, Boston University, Sr.
Defensive Player of the Year: Alexis Watanabe, Lehigh, Sr.
Rookie of the Year: Renee Poirier, Army West Point, Fr.
Coach of the Year: Michelle DePolo, Army West Point
First team
1B – Meghan Kovac, Bucknell, So.
2B – Alee Rashenskas, Army West Point, Jr.
3B - Kasey McCravey, Army West Point, Sr.*
SS – Brittany Younan, Boston University, Jr.*
C – Carolyn Wright, Lehigh, So.
DP - Vicky Lattanzio, Lehigh, Jr.
OF - Emma Wong, Boston University, So.
OF - Mackenzie Velasquez, Lehigh, Sr.
OF – Jilee Schanda, Boston University, So.
P – Melanie Russell, Boston University, Sr.
P – Amanda Fazio, Bucknell, Sr.
At-large – Kristen McPeek, Army West Point, So.
*Unanimous selection
Second team
1B - Emily Gray, Army West Point, So.
2B - Alexis Watanabe, Lehigh, Sr.
3B - Morgan Decker, Lehigh, Sr.
SS – Brooke Wensel, Lafayette, Fr.
C – Alex Heinen, Boston University, Fr.
DP – Caroline Smith, Army West Point, Jr.
OF – Moriah Connolly, Boston University, Jr.
OF - Mariah Midyette, Bucknell, Sr.
OF –Katie Bushee, Colgate, So.
P - Christine Campbell, Lehigh, Jr.
P – Gennifer Durham, Holy Cross, Sr.
At-large – Katie Schultz, Lehigh, So.
