Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"May 24, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
May
24, 2002
Robbins, Evans tabbed for Mid-Atlantic softball honors
By Mady Salvani
Asst. Director, Athletic Media Relations
Returning from a strong showing at the NCAA Region 5 Tournament, two members of Army’s softball team, Nicki Robbins and Shauna Evans, learned that they were among the Mid-Atlantic Region selections announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Tuesday.
Robbins was tabbed as a first-team selection for the fourth straight year as an outfielder. Evans was named to the team as a pitcher for the first time in her career. Both seniors have left behind an impressive legacy during their four years wearing the Black, Gold and Gray.
Robbins led the Black Knights offensively the past four years. The three-time Patriot League "Player of the Year" and this year’s tournament MVP, topped the squad in batting (.400), hits (56), runs (32), doubles (15), home runs (7), RBIs (33), total bases (92), walks (34), slugging percentage (.657) and on-base percentage (.523). The four-year starter was one of only three players to start a school record 51 games. The Florida native topped the Patriot League in doubles and is listed among the leaders in several other offensive categories.
Ranked nationally in batting and doubles all season, Robbins presently lists tied for 28th in batting (.409) and 18th in doubles per game (0.31). She hit safely in 41 of 51 games this season, including 14 multiple-hit games. Robbins closed out her career with nine school marks and four season records.
She broke career marks this season for home runs (17), at bats (545), games played (179) and base on balls (63), while adding onto her records for total bases (363), hits (230), batting average (.422), RBIs (117) and doubles (56). Robbins holds season marks for hits (62 set in 1999), RBIs (34 set in 2000), doubles (18 set in 2001) and triples (7 set in 1999), and ranks in the Top 10 in home runs, at bats, and runs scored. She is the first softball player to collect 200 hits, 50 doubles and 100 runs batted in and is the second to score 100 runs (113).
She has left her mark in the Patriot League as well, ranking first in doubles for both season (18 set in 2001) and career (56), along with holding career marks for slugging percentage (.666) and base on balls (63). Robbins is second in home runs (17) and third in RBIs (113).
At the NCAA Region 5 Tournament, hosted by the University of Oklahoma, Robbins was 1-for-3, drove in a run and scored herself in sparking No. 6 seed Army’s 2-0 upset win over No. 5 Utah in an elimination game May 16. It was the Black Knights’ first-ever NCAA victory. Robbins’ RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning snapped a scoreless deadlock against the Mountain West Conference champions, and she crossed on freshman Lisa Huntington’s double to center field to close out the scoring.
Robbins’ selection to the first team makes her eligible for All-American honors, which were announced Wednesday at the Women’s College World Series banquet.
Evans leads Army in virtually every Division I career and season pitching category. Tabbed the Patriot League’s "Pitcher of the Year" and a first-team all-star, Evans turned in formidable showings at both the league tournament and NCAAs.
Army’s No. 1 hurler the past two years, Evans started two of the three games in which she appeared at the Region 5 Tournament this past weekend in Norman, Okla. Posting a 1-1 record and 0.89 ERA, she went the distance on a three-hit shutout and struck out six in a 2-0 win over Utah after being tagged with a 4-0 loss to No. 10 and top-seed Texas in the first game. The victory over the Utes was her career 60th, breaking the Patriot League record of 59 that she tied in the tournament’s 2-1 win over Lehigh in the championship tilt.
Evans pitched 3.2 innings of relief the next day in a 2-0 elimination loss at the hands of No. 4 seed Arkansas. Overall, she yielded 15 hits, issued two walks and struck out 10 batters in 15.2 innings at the NCAAs. Only two of the five runs scored were earned. In 21 innings in the circle at the league tournament, Evans fanned 23 batters in posting a 1.67 ERA and 2-1 mark.
The Pennsylvania native closes out her collegiate career as the school Division I leader for wins (60), innings pitched (655.2) strikeouts (556) and appearances (115), and ranks third in ERA (1.71) and winning percentage (.612). At one point, she ranked 49th nationally this spring in ERA with a 1.19 mark after leading Army to the Patriot League title. Evans finished among the top five in all six Army season pitching charts. She has written her name three times into the season annals for ERA, strikeouts, winning percentage, wins and innings pitched, and twice for appearances.
Evans ranked among the Patriot League leaders in the spring, topping the conference in strikeouts (177), opponent batting average (.198) and tying with teammate Ashlie Christian for the lead in ERA (1.24).