Teams: Softball: Press Releases

Thursday, May 8, 2008

TINKER, SANTONE & COACH MILLIGAN LEAD SEVEN NESCAC SOFTBALL-HONORED JUMBOS

2008 All-NESCAC Teams

2008 NESCAC Player of the Year Christy Tinker

MEDFORD -- As has become commonplace this decade, the Tufts University softball team dominates the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) post-season honors announced today. Among seven Jumbos recognized, sophomore 1B Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT) was named Player of the Year, first-year pitcher Izzie Santone (Madison, CT) was voted Rookie of the Year and Coach Cheryl Milligan earned Co-Coach of the Year honors.

Tinker and Santone are joined on the All-NESCAC First Team by senior catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY), who is now a four-time All-NESCAC recipient. She was First Team in 2005 and 2006, and Second Team last season. The honors are the first for Tinker and Santone. Junior DP Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT), junior 3B Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) and senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) were selected to the Second Team. Kuhles was on the All-NESCAC First Teams in 2006 and 2007. Lopez was the 2006 NESCAC Player of the Year and a First Teamer in 2005 and 2006.

Milligan earned a share of the Coach of the Year Award for the second straight season and for the third time in the last four years. She guided the Jumbos to their fourth straight NESCAC East Division pennant and to their second consecutive conference tournament title.

For the seventh time in the last eight season, the conference's Player of the Year is from the Jumbos. Tinker is ranked near the top of the league in several offensive categories. Her .422 batting average is fourth, .716 slugging percentage second, .474 on-base percentage fourth, 32 RRI fourth, eight home runs tied for second and 73 total bases are third. She's also played a good first base with only two errors in 232 chances (.991 fielding clip). Tinker hit .389 with five home runs and 13 RBI in 12 NESCAC East games.

Santone leads the Jumbos with 21 appearances this spring, compiling an 8-2 record with a 2.00 earned run average (third-best in NESCAC) in 66.2 innings. She has also saved two games for Tufts and leads all conference pitchers with 10 games finished. In seven outstanding appearances against the NESCAC East, Santone did not allow an earned run in 27.2 innings and posted a 4-0 record.

Cusick, who earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors earlier this week for her performance in the conference tournament, has enjoyed her best season offensively. A stalwart behind the plate since arriving at Tufts, this year she's hitting .363 with two home runs and 24 RBI. Hovhanessian was one of the Jumbos' best clutch hitters this season and is currently third in the league with a .424 batting average. Her NESCAC East numbers were huge at .583 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 12 games. Kuhles again was the catalyst at the top of the Tufts batting order, posting some of the best numbers in NESCAC wtih a .415 average, 38 runs scored, 10 doubles and 19 stolen bases. Lopez, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, leads the Jumbos and is third in the league with 35 RBI while hitting .373 with five home runs.

The Jumbos have a 28-9 overall record entering the NCAA Tournament Regional at Rhode Island College today. Tufts is making its 10th straight appearance in the NCAA's.

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