Date: Thursday, May 16, 2002
MEDFORD – After breaking team records during the season at a rate that dizzied observers, the Tufts softball team begins NCAA tournament play on Friday amid a swirl of early post-season honors.
Senior pitcher Jodie Moreau (Clarksburg, MA/Hoosac Valley) was named the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association Player of the Year on Wednesday. Four other Jumbos were named to the All-New England First and Second Teams. On Thursday, Moreau and senior SS Jen Mackey (Swampscott, MA/Bishop Fenwick) were announced as members of the 2002 Verizon Academic District I College Division Softball team for their academic and athletic achievements.
Tufts faces Western New England in the first round of the
NCAA New England Regional Tournament at Wheaton on Friday at 12 noon. They enter
as NESCAC champions with a 28-7 record, 15 straight wins and a #8 national
ranking. Despite these accomplishments, the Jumbos are the third seed in the
six-team regionals and did not receive on of the two first-game byes. Play
continues through Monday, if necessary.
This is the sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Head Coach Kris Talon's program. The Jumbos were NCAA New England champions and played in the College World Series in 2000. Led by Moreau and a lineup that scored nearly six runs a game, the 2002 Jumbos are looking to improve their national portfolio.
Moreau is a national pitcher of the year candidate with a 19-1 record and 0.52 earned run average. She threw three shutouts to lead Tufts to the NESCAC title at Williams May 3-5, including a five-inning perfect game against Amherst in the opener. During the season she has set the team's career records for appearances (89), innings pitched (509.1), strike outs (407), wins (57) and shutouts (24). Her 19 wins and 10 shutouts this spring are single-season Tufts records. A Biochemistry major, Moreau will graduate on May 19 with a 3.2 grade point average.
The Jumbos aren't all Jodie Moreau. They smacked 22 home runs in 35 games, led by junior C Lis Drake's (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) nine. That's a total that broke her own single-season record of eight home runs last season, which broke her record of seven in 2000. Her 24 career blasts, with a season to go, are far and away the top all-time total. Drake, hitting .343 with 35 RBIs, joined Moreau on the All-New England First Team.
Senior 1B Tiffany Trahan (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford), who didn't play softball in high school, is finishing a remarkable power career at Tufts. She came as a basketball player, decided she'd rather play softball, and now has the team's career record for runs batted in (110) and total bases (243). Hitting .353 with six home runs and 34 RBIs this spring, she is on the All-New England Second Team.
Mackey has hovered around .500 all season, and currently stands 30th in the nation with her .471 batting average. Her 49 hits are tied for the single-season record at Tufts and her 38 runs are tied for second on that list. She's been a steady shortstop (.932 percentage) and has a .563 on-base percentage. She's also on the New England Second Team. A Biology major, she will graduate soon with a 3.7 grade point average.
Sophomore Julie Fox (Willow Springs, IL/Lyons Township) emerged as a versatile regular this spring, playing catcher, second base and the outfield for the Jumbos. She's hitting .364 with 32 RBIs and moved into the clean-up spot in the second half of the season. She's on the All-New England Second Team.
Fox, sophomore 3B Deana
Davidian (Pelham, NY/Pelham) and
freshman OF Courtney Bongiolatti (Locust, NJ/Middletown) are
young players who have complimented the veteran top-of-the-order. Davidian's
hitting .320 and Bongiolatti blossomed late in the year and has a .397 mark with
five home runs.
Senior 2B Emily Ferrazza
(Westminster, MA/Oakmont) hit .400
in the NESCAC tournament.
The team posted Talon's 300th win at Tufts against Eastern
Connecticut on April 14. Jumbos won four of the NESCAC's eight Player of the
Week awards this season. More honors are undoubtably coming.
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