Posted: May 09, 2012
The State University of New York Athletic Conference has announced the Player, Pitcher, Rookie and Coach of the Year awards for the 2012 softball season. The awards are voted on by the conference coaches.
SUNY Cortland sophomore outfielder Meaghan Kohler has been named the SUNYAC Player of the Year. Kohler is Cortland’s leader with 65 RBIs which ranks fourth in Division III. She is hitting .370 (54-of-146) with 12 doubles, 16 homeruns and 40 runs scored in 46 games. Her 16 homeruns ranks second in the Division III, just one behind the leader. Kohler’s slugging percentage (.781) leads the team and she boasts a .913 fielding percentage. Cortland (38-8) will be making its 18th NCAA appearance and sixth in row due to an at-large berth.
Plattsburgh junior Ashley Marshall is 22-4 in 33 appearances in the circle with a 1.48 ERA and two saves. In 165 innings pitched she has struck out 248 batters while allowing 28 walks, limiting the opponents’ batting average to .185. Her strikeout total ranks sixth in Division III. Marshall has thrown 20 complete games including nine solo shutouts, ranking eighth in the country. Marshall is the second Plattsburgh Cardinal to earn Pitcher of the Year accolades joining current head coach Stephanie Zweig who earned the honor in 2006 and 2007.
The Rookie of the Year was awarded to a Plattsburgh Cardinal for the first time in conference history, with the honor going to infielder Brittany Marshall. Marshall started all 38 games she appeared in totaling 50 putouts and 34 assists from the shortstop position. She registered 38 hits in 122 at bats for a .311 batting average, knocking in 19 RBI and scoring 41 runs. Marshall's 32 stolen bases ranks 15th in Division III.
The Cardinals posted a 14-4 regular season league mark and a 4-1 record to win the SUNYAC tournament crown for the second time in program history. Plattsburgh brings a 31-9 overall record into the NCAA Div. III regionals on May 10th.
Sandy Hollander and Marie Curran shared the Coach of the Year honors after an incredibly challenging season at Buffalo State. Hollander, who previously earned SUNYAC Coach of the Year honors on four occasions, led the Bengals to a 5-5 start during their spring trip to Florida before being hospitalized just prior to the first conference games of the season. Hollander passed away following that weekend on Monday, Apr. 2, and Curran, a second-year assistant with eight years of head coaching experience at Division I University at Buffalo, assumed interim head coaching responsibilities.
Under Curran, the Bengals played a non-conference doubleheader at RIT just two days after losing their head coach and will their way to a sweep, winning 16-11 and 6-2. Buffalo State finished the season 20-20 overall and qualified for the SUNYAC playoffs for the 19th time as the No. 4 seed with a 10-8 mark in league play.
2012 Softball All-Conference Teams
