Gonzalez Headlines Scot All-NCAC Softball Selections

Maria Gonzalez

WOOSTER, Ohio - Following a breakout 2005 softball season, junior Maria Gonzalez (Millersburg, Ohio / West Holmes) had some lofty standards to live up to, and she more than met those with one of the best offensive seasons in College of Wooster history, which culminated with first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors as announced by league officials on Wednesday, May 10.

Gonzalez, who was a second-team selection in 2005, wasn’t the only Scot earning postseason honors as four of her teammates got the nod, including three first-timers. Earning second-team accolades were first-year Kim Skully (Brooklyn Hts., Ohio / Cuyahoga Heights) and senior Angie Triplett (Sunbury, Ohio / Big Walnut), while honorable mention went to junior Lauren Schreur (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Grand Rapids) and senior Kelly Robinson (North Olmsted, Ohio / North Olmsted).

After setting new Wooster season records in several offensive category last season, Gonzalez reestablished herself as one of the league’s most dangerous hitters with another record-breaking year. She saw action in all 40 contests, starting 38 as an outfielder, and led Wooster from start-to-finish in batting average (.365), hits (42), runs scored (30), triples (5), home runs (5), RBI (36), total bases (76), slugging percentage (.661), on-base percentage (.431), and stolen bases (10). In NCAC play, Gonzalez accumulated a .351 batting average (13-for-37) with 10 runs scored, two home runs, 12 RBI, and a .730 slugging percentage.

Skully started 36 games in the outfield for Wooster this season and came on strong during league competition, compiling a .343 batting average over 12 games (12-for-35), second only to Gonzalez on the team. Overall on the year, she hit at a clip of .280 (28-for-100) with four doubles, three triples, two home runs, nine RBI, and a .440 slugging percentage. Noteworthy, Skully crossed the plate 24 times in 2006, marking the second-most runs scored in team history.

Triplett picked up her first all-conference honor after starting 34 of 35 games as an outfielder/designated player. She batted .312 on the season (24-for-77) with 22 runs scored, nine RBI, 13 walks, and a .430 on-base percentage. Triplett reached base over 45 percent of the time in NCAC play (.452), to go with a .292 batting average (7-for-24) and nine runs scored. Noteworthy, she scored runs in four of Wooster’s five conference victories.

Robinson finished out her career in strong fashion to earn her third postseason award, ranking among the team leaders in batting average (.307), at bats (114), hits (35), runs (19), triples (4), home runs (3), RBI (26), total bases (56), and slugging percentage (.491). She was the hardest Scot to strikeout as well, whiffing just once every 23 at bats. In league play, Robinson was 14-for-41 (.341) with six runs, three doubles, one home run, and 10 RBI. For her career, she ranks among Wooster’s top-three in games played (140), at bats (427), hits (122), home runs (3), RBI (71), and total bases (153).

Schreur started the first 13 games of conference play at second base before suffering a season-ending broken arm against Kenyon. She hit at a clip of .316 (12-for-38) against NCAC pitchers with seven runs scored, three doubles, seven RBI, and four walks and posted a pair of three-hit games against Oberlin and Allegheny. Overall on the year, Schreur batted a career-high .295 (26-for-88) with 17 runs, 17 RBI, a .352 slugging percentage, and a .367 on-base percentage, also all career marks.