University of Massachusets Athletics
Balschmiter, Normandin & Salato Named ECAC Softball All-Stars
June 10, 2009 | Softball
June 10, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - The ECAC released its Division I Softball All-Stars on Tuesday and three UMass players garnered honors. Senior pitcher Brandice Balschmiter, junior centerfielder Carly Normandin, and senior leftfielder Samantha Salato were all named to the 11-player team, with Balschmiter being named Pitcher of the Year and Normandin being named Player of the Year.
Balschmiter and Normandin were both named NFCA All-Americans and Easton All-Americans, while the pair and Salato were all named NFCA All-Northeast Region performers in 2009.
Balschmiter finished off an amazing career by setting the UMass single-season wins record with a 34-6 record in 2009 with a 0.96 ERA. She led the nation in shutouts with 22, while ranking fifth in victories and seventh in both ERA and strikeouts (344). The Newark, N.Y. native was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year for a record fourth time, while also earning her fourth-straight A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player, A-10 All-Conference First Team, and NFCA All-Region First Team honors.
The 6-1 right-hander finished her career at or near the top of the UMass record books in almost every pitching category. Her single-season record 34 wins in 2009 gave her 126 in her career, against just 33 losses. Her win total is the most in UMass history and ranks ninth in NCAA history. She also became just the 26th player in NCAA history to eclipse the 1,200-strikeout mark in a career, doing so in the Atlantic 10 Championship. Her 1,218 strikeouts are second to only Danielle Henderson in UMass history. Her 1,089 innings pitched are the most of any pitcher in school history.
Normandin took her game to a new level in 2009, posting a .403 batting average, the highest by a UMass player since Gutridge's .404 mark in 1998, and had a 23-game hitting streak. She did it all for the Minutewomen offensively, hitting 17 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 53 runs, 21 stolen bases, and a.727 slugging percentage, all while playing stellar defense in center field. The Gardner, Mass. native led the Atlantic 10 in average, slugging, hits (71), runs, doubles, and total bases (128) on her way to being named A-10 Player of the Year, A-10 All-Conference First Team, and NFCA All-Region First Team. She ranked in the top-30 nationally in doubles (13th), triples (17th), and runs (17th).
The left-handed batter and leadoff hitter will carry a .356 career batting average into her senior season, ranking fifth all-time at UMass. Her career slugging percentage of .647 ranks second-best in UMass history.
Salato finished her time in a UMass uniform with a career year in 2009. She broke a UMass and A-10 record with 19 home runs, shattering the old mark of 15 set by former teammate Stacy Cullington in 2007. Salato batted .287 on the season with 31 runs scored and a team and conference high 51 runs batted in. The Toms River N.J. native was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team and NFCA All-Region First Team. She was named USA Softball National Player of the Week on April 21 for hitting seven home runs and driving in 11 runs in four games the previous week. Salato finished the season fifth in the country in home runs and fourth in home runs per game (.39).
The right-handed batter finished her career second on the UMass career home run list with 32 and ninth in RBI with 122.
Head Coach Elaine Sortino's Minutewomen finished the 2009 season 41-10 overall and ranked 14th nationally on their way to capturing their fifth-straight and 21st overall A-10 Championship as well as their 15th-straight and 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance.
