Six Scot Softballers Named All-Conference

Natalie Barone

Brianne Diorio

For the second-straight season, a total of six College of Wooster softball players were named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference Team, including repeat honorees Natalie Barone (Akron, Ohio / St. Thomas Aquinas), Brianne Diorio (Boardman, Ohio / Cardinal Mooney), Kate Henley (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster), and Kelly Robinson (North Olmsted, Ohio / North Olmsted), announced the NCAC Wednesday.

Barone, Diorio, and Henley were joined by first-years Natalie Jawyn (Akron, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban) and Jamie Pocatko (Ashtabula, Ohio / Edgewood) as second-team all-conference picks, while Robinson received honorable mention.

For Barone, a sophomore, it marks her second postseason accolade after earning the recognition as a utility player in 2003. This spring, Barone was honored for her work on the mound, as the right-hander compiled a 1.35 ERA — the second-lowest in the league. Barone’s modest 9-9 record could have been much better had she received more run support. Seven of those wins came via complete-game shutouts. Barone totaled 93 strikeouts, while walking just 16 in 124.0 innings, and held opponents to a .194 average.

Diorio becomes the fifth player in program history to be a three-time All-NCAC honoree, previously garnering second-team status as both a freshman and junior. In 2004, Diorio accumulated a team-high .292 batting average (33-for-113) while starting all 35 games at shortstop. She tied for the squad lead in doubles (nine), and also tripled once, scored 16 runs, had 12 RBI, walked four times, and stole a base.

Kate Henley

Brianne Diorio

Henley, who also earned a third all-conference award (second-team as a freshman, honorable mention as a sophomore), endured a 7-for-53 slump (.132) to start the season, but the junior centerfielder then went on a 17-for-43 tear (.395) to finish with a .250 batting average. She had five doubles, 14 runs, eight RBI, and seven steals in as many attempts, while not making an error on the season.

Jawyn, a freshman catcher, was the battery mate for Barone. Defensively, Jawyn made one error and allowed just six passed balls to get by her, while with the bat in her hand, she hit .239 (11-for-46) and led the Scots in sacrifice bunts (seven). Jawyn also had four runs, one double, and one RBI in 20 games.

Pocatko made an immediate impact, as the freshman stepped in as a starting outfielder, usually in left, and batted .277 (28-for-101) with a team-high 10 stolen bases in 34 appearances. She also accumulated 15 runs scored, four doubles, seven RBI, and six sacrifice bunts on the year.

Robinson, who was a second-team All-NCAC infielder last spring, received honorable mention as a designated player in 2004. She was Wooster’s second-leading hitter with a .284 average (31-for-109) during 34 starts, and also ranked second on the team in RBI (15). Robinson scored 10 runs, too.

As a team, the Scots went 16-19 and narrowly missed out on the four-team NCAC Tournament, placing fifth in the regular season (7-7) for the second year in a row.