University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hen Softball Team Hands Out 2015 Season Awards
5/26/2015 3:26:00 PM | Softball
NEWARK, Del. -- Blue Hen senior rightfielder Jessica Grisler was named team Most Valuable Player as the University of Delaware softball squad handed out its team awards earlier this month.
In addition to Grisler, freshman first baseman Mariah Kondravy was named Offensive Player of the Year, freshman shortstop Leanna Gearhart was selected Defensive Player of the Year, and junior pitcher Kiersten Coffman earned the Blue Hen Award.
Grisler (Sacramento, Calif./Foothill) started in rightfield and batted leadoff during every contest of the year, and started all 213 games during her tremendous four-year career. She batted .369 during her senior campaign, tying for fifth in the CAA with 66 hits while tying for fourth with 40 runs scored, a UD single season record. Grisler, who earned second team All-CAA and All-Northeast Region honors, added 11 doubles, four homers, and 21 RBI during the season while leading the squad with 19 multi-hit games.
Grisler hit safely in 16 of the first 17 games of the year, including 10 straight from Feb. 21 through Mar. 15. She collected four hits at Charleston Southern on Feb. 14, and went 10 for 20 at the plate during the final five games of her outstanding career. One of the top players in school history, Grisler ended her career as the Blue Hens' leader with 213 games played, 698 at bats, 135 runs scored, 239 hits and 326 total bases, while ranking second with 39 doubles and fifth with a .342 batting average.
Kondravy (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), who earned second team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie Team honors, became the first UD freshman in school history to be named first team All-Northeast Region. She had a tremendous year at the plate, ranking second in the CAA while setting a UD single season record with 15 home runs. Kondravy, who batted .380 on the year, also set school records with 55 RBI and 117 total bases. Her 55 RBI and .741 slugging percentage ranked second in the conference, while her 117 total bases were third in the league.
Kondravy's 60 hits are tied for the seventh most in a Delaware single season, while her 12 doubles are tied for eighth. She already ranks third in school history with 15 homers, and needs just nine more to become UD's career home run leader. Kondravy posted 18 multi-RBI games during the season, nine more than any other player on the Blue Hens, while her 17 multi-hit games ranked third on the squad.
Gearhart (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) started 41 games at shortstop for the Blue Hens, ranking second on the squad with 93 assists. Her 11 triples are the most in Division I and were six more than any other player in the CAA, in addition to setting a new UD single season record. Gearhart batted .360 during the season, ranking third on the squad with 54 hits and 28 RBI, while her .333 average during conference games was the highest on the team. A CAA All-Rookie Team selection, she posted 14 multi-hit games on the year and closed the season with an 11-game hitting streak, the longest by a Blue Hen during the campaign.
Coffman (Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs) earned the Blue Hen Award, which honors strong work ethic, coachability and a positive attitude. She appeared in 16 games while starting 11 during the 2015, season, compiling a 4-4 record with a 3.47 earned run average. Coffman fired a three-hit shutout against Towson on May 1, and also did not allow a run in four innings of work while picking up a victory vs. UMES on Apr. 22.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
