George Washington University Athletics
GW Softball Duo Earn A-10 Postseason Honors
5/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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May 10, 2016
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Juniors Monica Macchiarulo and Megan Linn have received Atlantic 10 All-Conference honors, the league announced on Tuesday.
Macchiarulo earns her first postseason award as a member of the Second Team, while Linn's All-Academic Team nod marks her third career postseason honor following All-Rookie and Second Team selections in 2014.
Macchiarulo leads the Colonials with a .384 batting average, good for fourth in the conference, while starting 38 games in left field. The junior has had a breakout season, posting a .518 slugging percentage and a team-best 444 on-base percentage. Macchiarulo has swiped a team-best 18 bases in 19 attempts and committed just two errors on the year for a .974 fielding percentage. Macchiarulo has been a consistent threat at the plate for the Colonials, recording a program record 13-game hit streak from March 23-April 10.
"Monica is a coach's dream," said sixth-year head coach Stacey Schramm. "During her freshman year, she pinch hit and pinch ran when needed. She saw more innings as a designated player during her sophomore year. She embraced her role knowing that it's what the team needed. The more success she had in each of those roles, the more apparent it became that the team needed more from her. During her junior year, she was our starting left fielder and best hitter, not to mention voted as a team leader by her peers. Her development from the first day she stepped foot on the field until now has been truly outstanding. Learning and getting better never stops for Monica, so this is a much deserved award."
Linn has posted a stellar season both on the field and in the classroom in 2016 en route to her first All-Academic Team honor. Linn's 59 hits rank third in the A-10, while her .577 slugging percentage leads GW. The shortstop ranks second on the squad with a .378 batting average and 16 stolen bases, and has twice landed on the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and has been a perennial member of the GW Athletics Academic Dean's List. The sport, event and hospitality major owns a 3.50 GPA.
"Megan Linn has been our most reliable player on the team," said Schramm. "When the game is on the line, we want Megan at the plate. She understands the game more than anyone on the team and leads by example. The best quality about Meg is that she holds the same clout in everything that she does outside of the sport as well. She is a student-athlete who takes advantage of every opportunity that GW has to offer. As much as I would have liked for her to earn First Team honors, this recognition accurately reflects who she is on and off the field."
The Colonials host the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time in program history in 2016 and will take on third-seeded Massachusetts on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
