Story Links

April 22, 2002

GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Virginia fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) has been selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Player of the Week as announced Monday (April 22). It marks the fourth time this season Dennis has garnered the conference’s weekly award. Dennis helped lead UVa to a 5-0 record this week with three victories in the circle and a .400 batting average.

Dennis, a second-team All-American in 2001, broke a pair of her own Virginia single season school records during the week. Dennis established a new record for home runs in a season when she belted her 12th homer of the 2002 campaign in a 9-0 win in the first game of a doubleheader against UMBC on April 16. Dennis, who held the previous mark of 11 home runs in 2001, also hit her 13th home run in UVa’s 3-2 win at Maryland on April 21. Dennis broke the school’s single season RBI record when she drove in her 50th run of the season in the Cavaliers’ 8-2 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Elon on April 18. Dennis held the old record with 49 RBI in the 2001 season and has extended her new mark to 53 RBI.

On the week, Dennis hit .400 (6-15) with three home runs and nine RBI. She was also a perfect 3-0 in the circle with three complete-game victories. In 20 innings of work, Dennis allowed four runs (two earned) on 11 hits and struck out 34 batters while walking four. She held Maryland hitless for 5.2 innings before allowing a bunt single. She gave up two runs on four hits against the Terps and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. It marked the 11th time this season she has struck out 10 or more batters in a game and the 17th time she has whiffed nine or more batters in a contest.

On the season, Dennis is hitting .405 (66-163) with 13 homers, 14 doubles and two triples. She has driven in 53 runs, scored 29 times and has walked 45 times, including nine intentional free passes. She has 123 total bases, and possesses a .755 slugging percentage and a .525 on-base percentage. In the circle she is 23-8 with a 0.80 ERA. In 192 innings, she has struck out 258 batters while issuing only 39 walks. She averages 9.4 strikeouts per seven innings.

The Cavaliers (43-17) return to action on Wednesday, April 24 when they host in-state rival James Madison at The Park in Charlottesville. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.

Print Friendly Version