VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- For the third-straight year, senior third baseman/pitcher Erin Sharpe has been named the North Star Athletic Association's Player of the Year as announced Wednesday night at the NSAA Softball Awards Banquet which is being held in conjunction with the NSAA Softball Tournament held May 2-5 at Valley City State University.
In addition, head coach Michala Cimino, who guided the Bruins to a 41-16 overall record and a second-place finish in the NSAA with a 23-5 league mark, was named the NSAA Coach of the Year. It marked the seventh time in her career she has earned conference Coach of the Year accolades.
Sharpe joins six other Bruins on the first team, junior pitcher Monique Ashley, freshman shortstop Ellie Bliemeister, sophomore first baseman Maricela Egan, freshman outfielder Ashlyn Teran, freshman utility Ashley Young, and junior second baseman Kaitlyn Kinman. In addition, Teran was named to the NSAA Gold Glove Team. Junior pitcher Brieanna Brock earned second-team all-NSAA honors.
Sharpe led the NSAA and is second nationally with 24 home runs this season. She also led the conference with a .932 slugging percentage and 57 RBIs. She ranked second in the conference with 16 doubles and fifth with a .409 batting average. Sharpe ranks second all-time in the NAIA with 77 career home runs.
In the circle, Sharpe compiled a 7-4 record with two saves and a 3.42 ERA and 60 strikeouts.
Ashley led the Bruins with a 16-7 record, five saves, a 2.21 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 123.2 innings pitched. She also recorded three complete-game shutouts on the season.
Bliemeister is tied with Sharpe with 72 total hits on the season and leads the team with 59 runs scored. She is second on the squad with a .389 batting average and 10 home runs while starting in 55 of 57 games.
Egan registered a .377 batting average on the season with five doubles, two triples, and four home runs. She is fourth on the squad with 27 RBIs.
Along with Sharpe, Teran was the only other Bruin to start all 57 games this season. She batted .385 with a team-leading 18 doubles while scoring 38 runs and driving in 26 runs. Her 18 doubles led the NSAA this season. In the BU outfield, Teran committed just one fielding error in 62 chances.
Young, who split time at nearly every infield position and at designated player, batted .361 with 13 doubles, four home runs, and 23 RBIs.
Kinman registered a .333 batting average with 12 doubles, five home runs and was third on the team with 33 RBIs.
Brock compiled a 13-2 record on the season with two saves. She registered a 3.17 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 103.2 innings pitched.
The second-seeded Bruins (41-16, 23-5 NSAA) open play in the NSAA Tournament on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. against seventh-seeded Dakota State University (9-33, 6-21 NSAA).
