April 22, 2009
O'Gara named CAC Player of the Year, seven players named All-CAC, Knight honored
YORK, Pa. - Salisbury University senior
outfielder Meaghan O'Gara became the 15th player
in school history to be named Capital Athletic Conference Player of
the Year on Wednesday. SU head coach Margie Knight
won her eighth overall and second-straight CAC Coach of the Year
award as the Sea Gulls placed seven players on the 2009 All-CAC
Softball Team.
O'Gara, a first-team member in 2006, is one of the seven members
from this year's CAC championship team to earn a berth on the
all-star squad. The Northport, N.Y., native leads the Sea Gulls in
three offensive categories with a .437 batting average, .793
slugging percentage and 13 doubles. O'Gara has scored 29 runs,
drove 35 RBIs, connected for 38 hits and has six home runs this
season. Her batting average is the best in the conference.
O'Gara is the 12th straight SU softball athlete to be named CAC
Player of the Year.
Junior catcher Lauren Brenneman, junior first
baseman Ali Ritter, senior second baseman
Stacey Malarkey and junior shortstop Kelly
Waskewicz all make return appearances on the All-CAC team
from last season. Malarkey becomes the sixth player in program
history to be named All-CAC four times in her career. Brenneman,
Ritter and Waskewicz all have been named All-CAC for their third
consecutive year. Waskewicz won the previous two CAC Player of the
Year honors and was also named the conference rookie of the year in
2007. Stevenson shortstop Lisa Bilski was named the 2009 CAC Rookie
of the Year.
Senior pitcher Stacy Davis and sophomore
pitcher Kelsey Mills earned All-CAC accolades as
well. Mills was selected as one of two pitchers while Davis was an
at-large selection. This is the second straight appearance for
Davis and the first for Mills. The two have formed a strong one-two
punch for the Gulls as Davis-Mills have a combined record of 31-4
in 200 innings of work with ERAs of 1.32 and 1.01, respectively.
Coach Knight, who has led the Gulls (32-4) to their 13th
straight CAC title and 14th in program history since 1995,
previously won the CAC Coach of the Year award in 1997, '98, 2000,
'03, '04, '05 and '08. This is the 13th straight season the maroon
and gold have won 30 games in a season.
Also see:
2009 Salisbury
University Softball All-CAC Honorees