Five University of Maine at Presque Isle student-athletes were named to the Association of Division III Independents 2015 All-Independent Softball Team recently as voted by the AD3I head coaches and sports information directors.
Freshman Sara Packard was named to the first team, while Shannon Brown, Carly Bell, Katie Patenaude, Jessica Campbell and Dani Smith were named to the second team.
Packard, of St. Albans, led the division in innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games and saves and was fourth in wins. In all, Packard claimed seven of the Owls’ 11 victories and also had a solid season with the bat, hitting .250, finishing eighth in the conference in doubles and 13th in runs scored. She finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting as well.
Joining Packard among the elite is freshman infielder Bell of Presque Isle. She provided outstanding defensive play at both second and third base, committing only four errors in 26 games and hit .272 on the season. Bell had a .350 on base average and scored 26 runs, sixth in AD3I. She also ranked in the top 20 in hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, total bases and RBI.
Brown, a senior from Calais, was the selection at first base for the second team. Brown was second in the AD3I in extra base hits despite the Owls only playing 26 games in a weather-crunched season shortened by poor playing conditions all over New England. Still, the first sacker led the AD3I in triples, was third in doubles, eighth in walks and 10th in RBI.
Smith, a senior from Phillips, earned a second-team selection as a utility player. She caught all season and provided the Owls with clutch hits and a strong backstop for the entire season, committing only two errors all season. Smith ranked in the AD3I top 25 in hits, doubles, runs, RBI total bases, walks, batting average and on base percentage, while only striking out three times all season.
Patenaude and Campbell were named to the second team as outfielders. Patenaude, a junior from Presque Isle, capped an outstanding season in which she ranked fourth in RBI and extra base hits in the conference, while hitting .286 with nine doubles and 15 runs scored. Campbell, a junior from Lisbon, was one of the best stories in Owl athletics this season, triumphantly returning from a vehicle accident that prevented her from playing in 2014. She rebounded in great form by leading the association in triples and was in the AD3I top 25 in runs, doubles, RBI, steals, slugging percentage and batting average.
