Four CAC Players Earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American - Salisbury's Rachel Johnson, Kim Dorsey, Paige Knussman And Christopher Newport's Sabrina Hill
Four CAC softball standouts - Salisbury junior pitcher Rachel Johnson, sophomore shortstop Kim Dorsey, sophomore DH Paige Knussman and Christopher Newport junior first baseman/DH Sabrina Hill - were named to the 2014 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America team.
Johnson, Dorsey and Knussman - members of the Sea Gulls that advanced to the Division III championship series, which begins today in Tyler, Texas, were selected as first-team All-Americans while Hill, a member of the CAC champion Captains, earned third-team recognition.
This marks the first time that Salisbury has had three first teamers, and the first time since 2009 that the Sea Gulls have had three All-Americans in the same season.
The honor is the second in a row for Johnson, a pitcher from Preston, Md., who became just the second Sea Gull to earn first-team honors in back-to-back years, matching the run of Lisa Gentilella (2002-'03). Johnson has been one of the top pitchers in Division III softball this season, recording a 1.23 earned-run average along with a 25-2 record to go with three saves. She has been a part of six no-hitters this season, three of which have been perfect games. She has also collected 257 strikeouts, and ranks second in the nation with 11.3 strikeouts per seven innings and 3.60 hits allowed per seven innings.
Dorsey has been one of the most feared hitters in the nation throughout the season, as she ranks seventh in the nation with 15 home runs this year, in her first year of starting at shortstop. Along with the long balls, Dorsey has also ripped 13 doubles and a pair of triples for a .931 slugging percentage, which is eighth in the country. The Baltimore native's power has led teams to not pitch to her, earning 19 walks on the year, second on the team. Her .538 on-base percentage ranks in the top 30 in the nation. All of the extra-base hits have led to a team-high 60 runs batted in, a single-season total which ranks third in program history; her 1.4 RBIs per game are fifth in the NCAA this year.
Knussman, in her second year as a starter at the designated player position, ranks in the top 20 nationally in four different categories. Her batting average of .529 is fourth best in the country, while she's reached base at a .565 clip (13th in the country). She is second on the team to Dorsey, driving home 56 runs this season, with her per-game average ranking 12th, and her slugging percentage of .838, on 10 doubles, 10 home runs and a triple, ranking 18th.
Salisbury now has had 31 All-Americans in program history, 14 of which have been first-team selections.
Hill, from Stafford, Va., hit .414 this season with a team-high 12 home runs and 103 total bases. It's Hill's second straight third team All-American honor.Hill played in 42 of 46 games and started 41 times, leading CNU with an .774 slugging percentage. She was named first team all-conference by the Capital Athletic Conference, and helped lead CNU to the conference title in its first season of league membership.
The junior first baseman/designated hitter is currently second all-time in school history with 32 career home runs. She was named both the 2013 and 2012 USA South Player of the Year, and was the first player to ever win both Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season in conference history.
Hill hit eight home runs two seasons ago, most ever by a CNU freshman, and followed with 11 home runs as a sophomore and 12 this year as a junior. Hill was named MVP of the NCAA Regional at Virginia Wesleyan that saw the Captains win three straight games, two over the host Marlins in Virginia Beach. Hill was also named first team All-Region this year for the second straight year.
Last year, Hill was also selected third-team All-America, becoming just the 10th CNU player to receive All-American status in the 30-year history of the Christopher Newport softball program.