Roth Named BIG EAST Player of the Year
May 06, 2009 | Softball
May 6, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - University of Louisville catcher Melissa Roth was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. DePaul junior Becca Heteniak was named the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and Syracuse freshman Jenna Caira took BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors. The DePaul coaching staff earned the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The regular season awards and 37 All-BIG EAST selections were announced at the conference's annual championship banquet at the Marriott Louisville Downtown on May 6.
Roth joins Chelsea Bemis, Kristen Wadwell on the all-conference first team, while Kristin Austin, Kristi Cunningham, Vanessa James, and Colby Wherry were selected to the second team.
Roth becomes the first Louisville player in program history to be named the BIG EAST Player of the Year. The junior led the Cardinals in virtually every offensive category this season including team-high numbers in batting average (.436), home runs (16), RBI (49), runs scored (62), slugging percentage (.878) and on-base percentage (.564). Roth's 1.174 slugging percentage in league play was the conference's best. She was most recently named BIG EAST Player of the Week on May 4, giving her four of the weekly honors on the season. Roth hit .545 during the last week of the season, scoring six runs on six hits with two RBI and two home runs. She is a two-time All-BIG EAST Conference selection.
Wadwell has compiled a nation-leading 39 wins. The junior from Sydney, Australia carries a 1.42 ERA with 231 strikeouts and 10 shutouts on the season. Wadwell owns several school records including career (73) and single season (39)wins and strikeouts in a game (16). She earned BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors three times this year is a three-time league selection and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Championship as a freshman.
Bemis, a sophomore third baseman from San Diego, Calif., is second on the team with a .394 batting average and 43 RBI. The two-year starter is already eighth on the career home runs list (13) and is tied for seventh in career RBI (93) first all-conference selection.
Austin, a freshman outfielder from Hartsburg, Mo., earned a starting role as an outfielder early in the season and has played in 48 of Louisville's 54 games with 45 starts. She leads the team with 16 stolen bases, is second with 39 runs and fourth on the team with a .353 batting average. She was named U of L Freshman of the Year at the All-Sport Banquet in April.
Cunningham, a senior from Gallatin, Tenn., has been the Cardinals' starting centerfielder for the past four seasons. She carries a .305 batting average with 12 home runs and 42 RBI. Her 31 career homers place her second on the school's all-time list. She is also ranked among the top five in career runs scored (111) and RBI (118). The two-time All-BIG EAST selection has also been a team captain for the past two seasons.
James, a junior utility player from Charleston, Ill., transferred to Louisville from Lake Land College this season. She has started all but one game for the Cardinals as an outfielder or designated player in BIG EAST Conference games. James has a .318 batting average, 40 runs, 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Her five triples lead the team and the conference.
Wherry, a sophomore shortstop from Goodlettsville, Tenn., stands third on the team with a .373 batting average and has 31 RBI and 27 runs. is a two-year starter for the Cardinals and was named to the All-BIG EAST third team as a freshman. She was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 3.
The BIG EAST Softball Championship returns to Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Ky., for the second straight year May 7-9. Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, St. John's, Seton Hall, USF and Syracuse have earned a spot in the championship field. The semifinal games on May 8 at 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET and title game on May 9 at 5:00 p.m. will be televised live on the CBS College Sports Network.
The four quarterfinal matchups on May 7 will be available to fans streamed live on the BIG EAST website. For more information on subscription plans to view all the action, visit www.bigeast.tv or BIG EAST Softball Championship Central.
All-BIG EAST First Team
Chelsea Bemis, Louisville, So., INF
Britta Giddens, USF, Sr., INF
Becca Heteniak, DePaul, Jr., P/UT
Christine Lux, Notre Dame, Jr., INF
Dani Miller, Notre Dame, Fr., OF
Beth Northway, Notre Dame, Sr., DP
Amber Patton, DePaul, Sr., INF
Janine Richardson, USF, Fr., OF
Melissa Roth, Louisville, Jr., C
Mary Rose Sheehy, Providence, Sr., OF
Roxy Struble, St. John's, Sr., UT
Kristen Wadwell, Louisville, Jr., P
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Kristin Austin, Louisville, Fr., OF
Brittney Bargar, Notre Dame, Sr., P
Mandy Craig, Rutgers, So., INF
Kristi Cunningham, Louisville, Sr., OF
Stacia Dopudja, St. John's, Jr., DP
Jenna Garcia, Providence, Jr., INF
Vanessa James, Louisville, Jr., UT
Amy Kelley, Syracuse, Sr., C
Linda Kohan, Notre Dame, Sr., INF
Julianne Towers, Connecticut, So., INF
Micah Truax, Connecticut, Sr., OF
Jody Valdivia, Notre Dame, So., P
Colby Wherry, Louisville, So., INF
All-BIG EAST Third Team
Nalin Bennett, Seton Hall, So., OF
Jenna Caira, Syracuse, Fr., P
Mackensey Carter, Georgetown, Fr., DP
Rachael Crossin, Connecticut, Sr., P
Kristen Kaelin, Seton Hall, Fr., DP
Erin Marrone, Notre Dame, So., OF
Nicole Miller, Syracuse, Sr., INF
Cat Olnick, USF, Jr., C
Jackie Tarulli-Fisher, DePaul, Sr., C
Tara Voss, DePaul, So., INF
Kealan Waldron, Seton Hall, Sr., INF
Lindsay Wasek, Syracuse, Sr., OF
^ - Due to a tie in voting, extra members have been added to the All-BIG EAST Second Team
