Softball

Cougars Place Four on All-NJAC Softball Teams

PITMAN, N.J. (4/30/08) - Sophomore centerfielder Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill, N.J.) earned New Jersey Athletic Conference first-team softball honors, as voted on by the NJAC coaches and announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.

Sophomore designated player Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) was tabbed a second-team all-star, while seniors Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, N.J.) and Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) earned honorable mention honors.

In her first year as a full-time starter in the outfield, Lizzi (pictured right) batted .327 in conference play with team-highs of 17 hits and seven doubles, while driving in nine runs and scoring eight times.  For the season, she had a .286 batting average, while ranking tied for third on the team with nine doubles.

Thibault (pictured left) broke into the Cougar lineup this spring, starting all 39 games she played in as the designated player.  She leads the team in batting average (.391) and hits (43), while ranking fifth in runs scored (20).  In conference play, she led the Cougars in batting average (.333) and runs scored (10), while ranking tied for fourth in hits (14).

A four-year starter at shortstop, Hedler earned all-conference honors for the fourth straight year after leading the Cougars in conference play in RBI (12) and ranking third in hits (15).  In 158 career games, she is the program's all-time leader with 117 career runs, while her 10 triples are tied for the school record.  She is also tied for second in school history with 11 homeruns, is fourth in career hits with 173 and ranks fifth with 79 runs batted in.

Hicks earns all-conference recognition for the first time in her career following one of the best seasons in her career.  The two-year starter at first base was third on the team in batting average (.280) in conference play, while ranking tied for fourth in hits (14).  Overall this season, she leads the team in walks (20) and has a .300 batting average with 33 hits, 17 runs scored and 15 RBI.

The Cougars finished the regular season 28-12 overall, 10-8 in the conference, earning the fifth seed in the NJAC tournament.  Kean travels to second-seeded Ramapo College this afternoon to take on the Roadrunners at 4 p.m.