ATLANTA (05/09/07) ? Georgia State softball player Danielle Roddy (Canton, Ga./Woodstock) was selected the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year presented at the annual season-ending banquet held Wednesday evening on the Hofstra University campus on the eve of the 2007 CAA Softball Championships. Roddy is the second consecutive Panther to receive the Rookie of the Year award, after Jackie Jaegle earned the award in 2006.
Roddy, the Panthers third baseman, shares the honor with Drexel's catcher Ashley Botelho as voted by the league's eight head coaches. The other CAA major awards include James Madison junior infielder Jenn Chavez and UNC Wilmington sophomore catcher Carley Hughes as Co-Players of the Year, Hofstra sophomore Kayleigh Lotti as the Pitcher of the Year and James Madison's Katie Flynn, who was voted Coach of the Year by her peers.
In addition to the major awards announced Wednesday, the CAA recognized its all-conference first and second teams and the all-rookie squad. Two Georgia State players were named to the all-CAA first team as Roddy was joined by senior second baseman Mary Kathryn Branan (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton). Sophomore shortstop Nichole Griffin (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County) and sophomore pitcher Madi Gore (Acworth, Ga./Kell) garnered All-CAA second team honors. Roddy was united with freshman shortstop Rachel Cunningham (Alpharetta, Ga./South Forsyth) on the All-Rookie Team.
Roddy led the Panthers, all CAA freshman players and ranked sixth with a .349 batting average this season. The freshman led the team and the league in scoring (48). She also led the Panthers with 66 hits and added 21 RBI during her first season with Georgia State. The third baseman finished the regular season with a .993 fielding percentage, only making one error in the infield. Roddy was first in walks with 41 and broke the single season record for walks at State.
The senior second baseman led the team and second in the CAA in doubles with 16 and was fourth on the team in batting average (.304) overall and .380 in league play. Branan was sixth in the CAA and second on the squad in RBI with 35. She more than doubled her career home runs by blasting seven over the fence this season. The senior hit two two-run homers in the series finale against UNC Wilmington on April 22.
Griffin received her second consecutive all-CAA second team honors after leading the team in four offensive categories. She was ninth in the league in slugging percentage (.521), fourth in total bases (101), second in runs batted in (46) and second in home runs (9). Griffin has hit nine home runs in each of her first two seasons, placing her in a tie for fourth all-time in Panthers' history with 18.
Panthers' pitcher Gore posted an 18-10 overall record, positioning her second in the league in wins. She led the CAA in innings pitched with 197.1 and second in strikeouts with 151. In league action, Gore went 5-4 with a 2.60 ERA and fanned 53 batters in 80.2 innings of work. Gore was sixth in the CAA in opponents' batting average (.251).
Cunningham batted a second best on the squad and 10th in the association with .328. She was tied for sixth in doubles with 14 and third on the softball team. The shortstop was one of two to start in all but one game for the Panthers.
2007 ALL-CAA SOFTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Player, School Pos. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Carley Hughes, UNC Wilmington# C So. Pittsboro, N.C./Apex
Jenn Chavez, James Madison 1B Jr. Upland, CA/Upland
Mary Kathryn Branan, Georgia State 2B Sr. Alpharetta, Ga./Milton
Danielle Roddy, Georgia State 3B Fr. Canton, Ga./Woodstock
Katie George, James Madison SS Sr. Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood
Ashley Lane, Hofstra* OF Sr. Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke
Erika Bernstein, Hofstra OF So. Somerville, N.J./Somerville
Kaitlyn Wernsing, James Madison OF So. Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth
Becky Anderson, George Mason UT Fr. Oakton, Va./Oakton
Lauren Mernin, James Madison DP Fr. Herndon, Va./Herndon
Kayleigh Lotti, Hofstra* P So. S. Attleboro, Mass./St. Raphael's Academy
Jenny Clohan, James Madison P So. Ashburn, Va./Broad Run
SECOND TEAM
Player, School Pos. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Carolann Lubach, Hofstra C So. Langley, Wash./South Whidbey
Krista Searle, UNC Wilmington 1B Sr. Chesterfield, Va./L.C. Bird
Casey Fee, Hofstra 2B So. Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach
Brianne Brown, Drexel 3B Sr. Levittown, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic
Amber Kirk, James Madison 3B So. Hamilton, Va./Loudoun County
Kim Ovittore, Delaware SS So. Bethel, Conn./Lauralton Hall
Nichole Griffin, Georgia State# OF So. Leesburg, Ga./ Lee County
Courtney Simons, James Madison OF Fr. Richmond, Va./Deep Run
Paige Wakefield, UNC Wilmington OF Jr. Bealeton, Va./Liberty
Morgan Walters, UNC Wilmington UT Fr. Fuquay-Varina, N.C./Fuquay-Varina
Stefanie Streets, Towson DP Fr. Newark, Del./Newark
Meredith Felts, James Madison P So. Greenville, N.C./J.H. Rose
Madi Gore, Georgia State P So. Acworth, Ga./Virginia
2007 CAA Co-Players of the Year: Jenn Chavez, James Madison & Carley Hughes, UNC Wilmington
2007 CAA Pitcher of the Year: Kayleigh Lotti, Hofstra
2007 CAA Rookie of the Year: Ashley Botelho, Drexel & Danielle Roddy, Georgia State
2007 CAA Coach of the Year: Katie Flynn, James Madison
* - 1st team All-CAA in 2006 # - 2nd team All-CAA in 2006
2007 CAA ALL-ROOKIE SOFTBALL TEAM
Player, School Pos. Hometown/High School
Becky Anderson, George Mason UT Oakton, Va./Oakton
Ashley Botelho, Drexel C Rochester, Mass./Coyle and Cassidy
Rachel Cunningham, Georgia State SS Alpharetta, Ga./South Forsyth
Michele DePasquale, Hofstra 1B Waterford, N.J./Camden Catholic
Katrina Gaudier, Drexel UT Irvine, Calif./Northwood
Lauren Mernin, James Madison DP Herndon, Va./Herndon
Branden Moss, James Madison P Richmond, Va./Trinity Episcopal
Danielle Roddy, Georgia State 3B Canton, Ga./Woodstock
Courtney Simons, James Madison OF Richmond, Va./Deep Run
Morgan Walters, UNC Wilmington UT Fuquay-Varina, N.C./Fuquay-Varina
