Sage among the NCAA Stats leaders in Softball in 2012
Indianapolis, IN---- The Sage Colleges' softball team and a few players are among the national statistical leaders with the release of the final NCAA Division III statistics for softball. The Gators went 29-17 and finished as the ECAC Division III Metro NY-NJ Runner-up as well as the 2012 Skyline Conference runner-up after a record breaking season under the guidance of the team's new leader, Jamie Brown.
As a team, Sage ranks in the Top 100 in six different categories. The team batted a combined .335, which was 38th best, while also ranking 17th with their 1.93 doubles per game average. Sage combined for a school-record 89 doubles in 46 games this past season. The Gators also 27th in scoring with a 6.5 runs per game average having scored 299 runs this year. Sage also ranked 32nd in team slugging percentage (.484), while connecting for 30 home runs, which ranks 42nd with a 0.65 per game average. The Gators also were 92nd in win-loss percentage with a 0.630 percentage. Of the 402 ranked teams in ERA, Sage was 135th with an impressive team ERA of 2.96.
Individually, Sage's student-athletes also excelled among the national Division III leaders as well. Among the players cited for their tremendous performances on the field were rookie infielder Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport). She finished her first campaign with the Gators as she batted .434 and ranks 98th in Division III. She was also 101th in the ranked players in on-base percentage with a .488 percentage. A 46-game starter, she led the team and earned a spot on the 2012 Skyline Conference All-Star First Team and 2012 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year honors.
Sage's senior centerfielder Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) finished the season ranked 44th with her five triples and checked in at the No. 89 spot with her 0.11 triples per game average. She batted .319 in 2012 and had 12 extra-base hits with six doubles, five triples and a home run in 46 games started for the Gators.
Senior third baseman Megan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes)finished the campaign with a school-record 15 doubles on the season and ranked 148th in Division III with her 0.33 doubles per game average. She was also the team's leader in being hit by a pitch in 2012 after being hit eight times and ranks 78th in Division III with her 0.17 per game average. The Gators' all-time career games played record holder, Welcome played in 140 games in her four seasons with Sage.
Joining her with a ranking of 148th in doubles per game was sophomore short stop, Hillary Faas (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia)after also connecting on 15-doubles on the season. Faas also ranked 16th with her four sacrifice flies on the season and checks in 82nd in RBI's per game with a 0.89 per game average. She drove in 41 RBI's and had a .373 batting average in 46 games started at short and was tapped for a spot on the 2012 Skyline Conference All-Star Second Team.
Rookie Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) checks in at the No. 71 spot with her 0.93 RBI's per game average after breaking Sage's single-season RBI mark with her 42 RBIs.
Junior pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain), who garnered 2012 Skyline Conference All-Star First Team honors, ranks in several categories after her record-breaking season. She was 65th nationally with her 16 wins, while also ranking 99th in strikeouts with her 119 this season, both of which are Sage single-season marks. She also finished with two saves, which was 38th best in Division III. Her 3.08 ERA was 226th best of the 400 ranked pitchers in Division III. Newberg went 16-9 in 2012 with 119 strikeouts in 152.1 innings of work, while limiting the opposition to a .259 average in her 30 appearances.
Junior pitcher and outfielder Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane), who also garnered Skyline Conference All-Star First Team honors and a spot on the 2012 Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, finished the 2012 campaign ranked both as a hitter and a pitcher. She was 82nd in Division III with her 0.2 home runs per game average after she belted a school-record nine home runs in 2012. She was 104th in runs scored per game (0.93), and No. 43 in total home runs (9). As a pitcher, Smith ranked No. 92 in shutouts with her four in 2012, while adding 13 wins, which was 119th best nationally. She was 158th in ERA with her impressive 2.52 team-leading ERA in 2012, while also fanning a personal-best 78 batters in her 24 appearances in the circle. She batted .363 with 39 RBI's and 22 extra-base hits, including 12 doubles.
