Senior co-captain Courtney Bongiolatti became the fifth Jumbo in as many years to be named NESCAC Player of the Year on Thursday. Joining her on the awards list were freshman Rookie of the Year Danielle Lopez and NESCAC Coach of the Year Cheryl Milligan. Tufts took three of the four annual awards as Williams junior Clara Hard nabbed Pitcher of the Year.
Bongiolatti remained the favorite for the top award throughout most of the season as she led the league in nearly every offensive category. Her 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, 93 total bases, and .869 slugging percentage were conference bests, and she ranked in the top five in batting average (.374), hits (40), and runs scored (26). Her explosive bat set a new Tufts single-season home run record and tied the career home run count of 32, set by Lis Drake, the 2003 NESCAC Player of the Year, from 2000-2003.
Joining Bongiolatti on the first all-NESCAC team and taking home Rookie of the Year honors was freshman second baseman Danielle Lopez. Batting .379 and slugging .655, Lopez's name appears within the top five in nearly every conference-wide offensive category. Her 44 hits were a league best, she was second in home runs (8) and total bases (76), third in runs scored (26), and fourth in RBIs (27). In the field, Lopez filled the second base position vacated by Deana Davidian (LA '04) and started every game for the Jumbos.
The Jumbos' third selection to the first team All-NESCAC was freshman catcher Megan Cusick, whose presence behind the plate has been a focal point for the Tufts infield all season. Boasting a team-high .990 fielding percentage, Cusick led the league's catchers in runners picked off with three, and has caught six runners stealing.
Tufts coach Cheryl Milligan took home NESCAC Coach of the Year honors. Milligan continued to build the Tufts program in her second season at the head spot and led the Jumbos to their highest regular-season win total in recent years. A former Jumbo, Milligan played every inning in her four years at shortstop and her accomplishments as a player are now translating into a successful coaching run. Milligan wrestled the award away from former Tufts coach Kris Herman, now at Williams, who has taken the gold for the past four years.
The Jumbos also fielded two players in the second team All-NESCAC, including freshman pitcher Erica Bailey, whose 1.58 ERA was a team low. When not on the mound, Bailey filled in as a designated hitter, propelling the Jumbos' offense with a .337 batting average and eight home runs. Senior Katie Smith, last year's NESCAC Player of the Year, also received second-team honors based on her .339 batting average and 37 hits.
The freshmen presence on the postseason awards list is a good sign for next year's squad, and as Milligan continues to solidify her position at the helm of the program, the 2006 Jumbos will look to continue their consistency and dominance.
-by Liz Hoffman
