University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gopher Softball Announces Team Awards
6/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The University of Minnesota softball program has announced its annual team awards. Junior Megan Higginbotham has been named the team's Most Valuable Player, while senior Lindsey Erickson was named the team's Most Valued Player as voted on by her teammates.
Higginbotham led Minnesota in batting for the third consecutive season with a .331 batting average. The Tallahassee, Fla., native paced the team with 12 doubles and 30 runs scored. Higginbotham was also given the .300 Hitting Award. A native of Hermantown, Minn., Erickson was a four-year starter in the outfield for Minnesota. She appeared in 217 games in her career, including 158 straight starts the past three years. Erickson ranked second on the team this past season with eight doubles.
Senior Valerie Alston and sophomore Megan Arns were Defensive MVP honorees. A native of Canyon Lake, Calif., Alston started all 50 games at second base and finished with a .968 fielding percentage. Hailing from Merrifield, Minn., Arns committed just three errors in 413 chances in 50 starts at first and third base this past season. Through two years, Arns is tied for first all-time in school history with a .995 career fielding percentage.
Other award winners included Rookie of the Year Colleen Conway and Blue Collar Award winner Katie Meyer. A freshman from Woodbury, Minn., Conway started all 50 games at shortstop and ranked second on the team with a .267 batting average. Meyer was honored for her determination and enthusiasm on and off the field. A native of Bloomington, Minn., Meyer ranked third on the team with a .231 average.
Meyer was also honored with the Severson/Coaches Award, which honors players for their dedication to the program. Other recipients of the Severson/Coaches Award included sophomores Lauren Pockl and Colleen Powers and freshmen Shannon Stemper and Bethany Wolvington.
Golden Gopher Team Awards
Most Valuable Player (voted by the coaches): Megan Higginbotham
Most Valued Player (voted by the players): Lindsey Erickson
Defensive Award: Val Alston
Defensive Award: Megan Arns
Rookie of the Year: Colleen Conway
Blue Collar Award: Katie Meyer
.300 Hitting Award: Megan Higginbotham
Severson/Coaches Award: Katie Meyer, Lauren Pockl, Colleen Powers, Shannon Stemper , Bethany Wolvington
