Softball
Softball
SOFTBALL: Three Huskies Named to NFCA All-American Academic Squad
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Rachel Haines, SCSU's three-time NFCA All-American Academic recipient. |
St. Cloud, Minn. – The St. Cloud State University softball team recently received notice that three players from the 2007-08 Husky squad were named to the 2007-08 National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Division II All-American Academic Team. Those players include Rachel Haines (Pepin, Wis.), Katie Hendrickson (Verona, Wis.) and Kassandra Dyck (Steinbach, Manitoba).
This marks the third time that Rachel Haines has received this honor during her collegiate career. A biomedical science major with a 4.0 grade point average, Haines played an important role in SCSU's success in 2008, starting in all 56 games in the leadoff spot. She led the team with 189 at bats and 72 hits, which marks the eighth best in school history. The Pepin, Wis., native also set new personal bests last season with a .381 batting average, 72 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, one home run, 29 RBIs, 91 total bases, .481 slugging percentage, 14 walks, .423 on base percentage and 93 assists while tying a career-high with 40 runs scored. Of note, Haines also landed on the 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic College Division All-America Second Team for the first time in her career, and was also a two-time All-North Central Conference Academic player.
Katie Hendrickson finds herself on the NFCA All-American Academic team for the first time in her career. As a first year catcher in 2008, Hendrickson played in 53 games for the Huskies and made 49 starts behind the plate. Another biomedical science major at SCSU, Hendrickson batted .260 (34-131) during her rookie stint, including seven doubles, 13 runs scored and 20 RBIs.
Kassandra Dyck, who was also named to the NFCA All-American Academic team for the first time in her career, was a first year pitcher for the Huskies during the 2007-08 stint and appeared in 20 games in the circle with nine starts for a 5-4 record. The Steinbach, Manitoba, native had three complete games during her time at St. Cloud State. Dyck, who is no longer on the Husky squad, was a nursing major at SCSU.
To be eligible for the NFCA All-American Academic team, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a scale of 4.00.
“We are all very proud of Rachel (Haines), Katie (Hendrickson) and Kassandra (Dyck) for their selection to the NFCA Academic All-American team as representation for our Husky softball program,” said SCSU’s 12-year head coach Paula U’Ren. “They are dedicated student-athletes that are not only positive role models on the field but in the classroom as well as both Rachel and Katie aspire for careers in the medical field,” added U’Ren.
With a 35-21 record, the 2008 Huskies produced the best record since the 2004 Husky squad that took third at the NCAA Division II tournament. Of note, the 2008 St. Cloud State softball team had 11 players out of the 17 players on the active roster finish the school year with a 3.0 grade point average or better.
St. Cloud State University, an NCAA Division II affiliate, is a first year member of the always rugged Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2008-09. Founded in 1869, St. Cloud State University enrolls over 16,000 students making it the second largest college in the state of Minnesota.
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