June 19, 2006
2006 Final NCAA Softball Statisitcs
A total of eight Patriot League student-athletes appeared in the NCAA's final release of softball statistics for the 2006 season, with three ranking in the top-10. As a team Colgate was ranked in one category, while Lehigh, the 2006 Patriot League Champion, was ranked in three.
Lehigh's Kate Marvel (Manasquan, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) checked in as the Patriot League's top-ranking student-athlete, finishing the year second in the nation in triples (0.17/g). Also in the top-10 was Colgate's Kim Olmstead (Spring Hill, FL/Hernando), who ranked fourth in sacrifice hits (0.44/g), and Holy Cross' Jayme Elliott (Gardena, Calif./Mira Costa), who was ninth in the toughest-to-strikeout category (24.4). Olmstead graduated as the Patriot League's all-time leader with 45 sacrifice hits.
As the only Patriot League player to appear in more than one category, Lehigh's Lisa Sweeney (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) was ranked 19th in earned run average (1.14), tied for 23rd in victories (26) and tied for 13th in saves (four). During her freshman campaign Sweeney became the Patriot League's single-season leader in victories and strikeouts (228). Sweeney was both the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, leading the Mountain Hawks to their third-straight League title.
Lauren Haney (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) joins Marvel and Sweeney as Mountain Hawks in the final NCAA rankings. Haney concluded the season tied for 27th in the hit-by-pitch category (0.20/g).
Lafayette's Gianna Lopreato (Belleville, N.J./Montclair-Kimberly) was also noted in the toughest-to-strikeout category, with a 25th-place ranking (17.6).
Rounding out the Patriot League's list of ranked players were Colgate's LaPorscha Albert (Lewisville, TX/Lewisville) and Holy Cross' Megan Lally (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro), who were tied for 11th (0.36/g) and tied for 17th (0.33/g) in doubles per game, respectively.
As a team, Colgate ended the season ranked 25th in doubles (1.40/g). Lehigh was ranked in three categories, including winning percentage (16th, .754), earned run average (25th, 1.78) and triples (3rd, 0.42/g).
