Softball Matches Mark for A-10 Postseason Honors
5/8/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Full List of Atlantic 10 Softball Postseason Honors
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Six different George Washington softball student-athletes have earned Atlantic 10 postseason honors to match the program record, the league announced Tuesday.
Jenna Cone, Elena Shelepak, Sidney Bloomfield, Morgan Rinehart and Alessandra Ponce all garnered spots on the All-Conference Second Team, while Bloomfield, Ponce and Sierra Lange landed on the A-10 All-Rookie Team.The Colonials matched the 2013 squad with their six honorees, earning those accolades in a spring in which they've already set the program record for wins in a season with 32 and broken a slew of statistical marks on the strength of one of the nation's top offenses.
"I am very proud of this team's hard work and commitment," head coach James DeFeo said. "It is a good sign for the program to have this many players earn this type of recognition from the conference."
Cone leads the way with an impressive .390 batting average/.478 on-base percentage/.747 slugging percentage slash line, plus 12 home runs, 16 doubles and a conference-leading/program-record 61 RBIs. The sophomore from California carries a program-record 35-game on-base streak into the A-10 Championship.
Cone earned three A-10 Player of the Week awards this spring, following up an equally fantastic freshman season in which she was named A-10 Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-Conference pick in 2017.
Shelepak put together a breakout sophomore season at first base, posting a .364/.431/.630 slash line and ranking second on the club in home runs (9), doubles (14) and RBIs (41).
As a senior, Morgan Rinehart recorded a career year in center field with a .336 batting average, 32 runs, 26 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and five home runs. All of those represented career-best totals.
Alessandra Ponce enters the A-10 Championship as GW's leading hitter at .406 with the chance to become the first Colonial to finish with a .400 or better batting average since GW Hall of Famer Elana Meyers Taylor in 2007. The newcomer from Nevada has totaled 17 extra-base hits and knocked in 29 runs as GW's designated player.
Bloomfield has also shined in her debut campaign, ranking 137th nationally in batting average (.377) and 48th in steals per game (22 steals in 42 games). The speedy outfielder has tied Meyers Taylor for the program's freshman record with her three triples.
Lange grabbed a spot on the All-Rookie Team, as well, after an excellent season as a pitcher and infielder. The freshman from Texas leads the Colonials with a 14-6 record, including wins in four straight starts to finish the regular season. She's posted a 3.18 ERA and compiled 105 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings. At the plate, she's hitting .370 with 14 extra-base hits, including a team-best .420 average in A-10 play.
GW (32-19, 12-11 A-10) is the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship and opens the double-elimination tournament against third-seeded Dayton on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
