Owl players and coaches earn post-season accolades
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Nine softball players and eight baseball players and both coaches for the University of Maine at Presque Isle Owls recently earned honors from the United States Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Association of Division III Independents.
In softball, Sara Packard and Katie Patenaude were both named USCAA First Team All-American, while Packard was an All-Independent First Team Pitcher and Patenaude an All-Independent First Team First Baseman. The teammates were also selected to the USCAA All-Academic Team.
Packard, who had a 3.02 earned run average, struck out 178 batters and compiled a 19-14 record, is a sophomore from St. Albans and Patenaude, who batted .364, slugged at .504 and led the team with 11 doubles and 28 RBIS, is a senior from Presque Isle.
Dalynn Jacobs, a freshman from Riverside, R.I., and Nicole Marucci, a sophomore from Naples, were both named to the All-Independent First Team, Jacobs as a third baseman and Marucci as an outfielder. Jacobs hit .304 and stole eight bases, while Marucci batted .352 and scored 19 runs.
Making the All-Independent Second Team were Hannah Williams, Amanda Allen and Jordi Legassie. Williams, who also was an All-American Honorable Mention choice, made it as a second baseman and Allen and Legassie as outfielders. Williams is a freshman from Park Falls, Nova Scotia; Allen a senior from Limestone and Legassie a freshman from Presque Isle.
Dinah Bilodeau, a sophomore from Knox, and Jessica Campbell, a senior from Lisbon, joined Marucci on the USCAA All-Academic Team.
Coach Sara Shaw, was named AD3I Co-Coach of the Year for guiding the Owls to an Association-best 25-15 record.
For baseball, Andrew Bartlett, Tommy Collins and Matt Cauchon were All-Independent First Team selections. Bartlett, a senior from Damariscotta, made it as a pitcher, while Collins and Cauchon did so as outfielders.
Bartlett went 4-3 with a 5.32 earned run average, striking out 35 in 44 innings of work. Collins led the Owls with a .327 batting average and a .391 on-base percentage. Cauchon hit .278 and was behind only Collins in on-base percentage at .378. His 35 hits, 19 RBI and 12 stolen bases put him second on the team in all three categories.
Making the All-Independent Second Team were Matt Curry, Saul Nunez, Adam Begos, Ryan Sanderson and Brady Rowe.
Curry, a sophomore from Caribou, made it as a pitcher. He led the Owls with 62.1 innings pitched, 11 starts and six complete games. Nunez, a sophomore from Mapleton, was a second-team pitcher with his six complete games and 35 strikeouts in 51 innings. Begos, a senior from Westbrook, was a second baseman who hit .282, drove in 14 runs and struck out just five times in 103 at bats.
Sanderson, a freshman from Cow Bay, Nova Scotia, played shortstop and led the team in slugging percentage at .419. He slammed three homers and was second in RBI with 20. Rowe, a senior from Halifax, Nova Scotia, hit .275, led UMPI in hits with 36, stolen bases with 14 and runs scored with 27.
Curry and Nunez were also both named to the USCAA All-Academic Team.
Mike Pankow was named AD3I Coach of the Year. He led his Owl team to 12 wins despite playing all but two games on the road.
