MAY 15, 2006
VALONIS NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR AS FIVE
KING'S PLAYERS EARN ALL-FREEDOM SOFTBALL HONORS
WILKES-BARRE -- Junior first-baseman
Mari Valonis (Dickson City/Mid Valley)
was named the Freedom Conference "Player of
the Year" and four other Lady Monarchs earned a spot on the All-Freedom
Conference team, the MAC Office announced Monday.
Joining Valonis on the first team is freshman shortstop
Abbey Knoblauch (Tamaqua/Tamaqua).
Earning second team berths to the team are junior pitcher
Nikki Kotula (Dupont/Pittston Area),
junior outfielder
Justine Maggio (Hazleton/Hazleton Area),
and sophomore outfielder
Leanne Harvey (Nanticoke/Nanticoke
Area).
Valonis
enjoyed a brilliant season for the Lady Monarchs as she ranked near the
top of every offensive category in the Freedom Conference. In 47 games,
she batted .420 (63-150) with 12 home runs, 11 doubles, four triples, 59
RBI, and scored 43 runs.
She also posted a sterling .787 slugging
percentage. A week ago Valonis was selected to the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association East Regional All-American Team as a first-team
selection.
Knoblauch,
meanwhile, completed an outstanding rookie year in which she batted .408
(60-147) to rank second on the team while adding 12 doubles, six triples, one home run, six steals, and
scored a team-high 45 runs as the Lady Monarchs' leadoff hitter.
Additionally, Knoblauch was a third-team NFCA East Regional choice last
week.
Kotula,
meanwhile, earned a 12-4 record with a 2.65 earned run average while
striking out 87 batters in 119 innings of work as King's number-one
hurler throughout the season. She also batted .338
(44-130) with nine doubles, four triples, 37 RBI and scored 36 runs.
Harvey
was outstanding during the second half of the season and was one of
King's top offensive players in the post-season. She finished the year
with a .389 (35-90) average with eight doubles, 21 runs, and 21 RBI
while going 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts. Harvey was also named to
the all-tournament team at the NCAA Regional Championships at Salisbury
University over the weekend.
Maggio
also posted stellar numbers for the Lady Monarchs, batting .366 (45-123)
with five doubles, 22 RBI, and 42 runs scored. Maggio also played a key
role batting second in King's lineup where she led the team in sacrifice
bunts (9), while stealing 10 bases in 13 attempts.
The five
Lady Monarch players led King's to a 38-9 record as well s the program's
seventh straight berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
