Six º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Softball Players Named First Team All-Patriot League
HAMILTON, N.Y. – º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ University junior outfielder Dorothy Donaldson (Lakeland, FL) has been named the 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year, while senior right-hander Elena Isaac (Chandler, AZ) was selected as Pitcher of the Year.
Joining Donaldson and Isaac on the first team all-Patriot League squad is junior second baseman Natalie Rawson (Palmdale, CA), junior shortstop Nichole Rawson (Palmdale, CA), senior utility player Rachel Smith (Annandale, VA) and sophomore designated player Erin Hanna (Tucson, AZ).
Donaldson is the third º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ player to earn Patriot League Player of the Year honors, joining Melissa Rawson (2003) and Melissa Mack (1998). She is the leading hitter in the Patriot League with a .419 batting average. Donaldson also leads the league in home runs (12), total bases (100), walks (28), on-base percentage (.522) and slugging percentage (.775). Earlier this season, she broke the Patriot League career home run record with 33 in three years.
Donaldson is a three-time first team all-league selection and was Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2002.
Isaac becomes the second º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ pitcher to receive Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Tara McGoff, who won the award in 1997 and 1998. Isaac, who is a three-time first team all-league selection, leads the Patriot League in wins (15) and shutouts (6), and is currently second in ERA (1.27). She needs one victory to tie McGoff (1996-99) for the most wins in º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ history (59).
Natalie Rawson is making her third appearance on the all-league team, and second straight on the first team squad. She is batting .354 for the Raiders, and has broken the school’s single season record for runs batted in with 45 in her first 46 games, which is 11th among NCAA leaders.
Her twin sister, Nichole, earns first team all-league honors in her first season with the Raiders after transferring from Marist College. Rawson carries a .371 batting average while driving in 25 runs and scoring 36. She has six home runs and 10 doubles for a .597 slugging percentage.
Smith takes first team all-league honors for the second straight season.
She is one of the most versatile players to wear a º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ uniform. Smith has played four different positions this season while posting a .278 batting average. She ranks among the Top 10 all-time º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ players in at bats (506), runs scored (76), and hits (137), and is 11th in RBI (57) and total bases (164).
Hanna has earned her first Patriot League all-league recognition while playing in 43 games for the Raiders. She is enjoying her finest season with a personal best for batting average (.319), runs scored (10), hits (37) and RBI (17).