Newberg and Beikirch named to 2013 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District Team

Posted: May 06, 2013

Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team placed two student-athletes on the 2013 Capital One Academic All- District First Team on Monday for their outstanding efforts in the classroom and on the playing field. The pair becomes the second and third Sage softball player to garner this award after Gator softball player, Rachel Smith was honored last year. Named to the team from Sage are sophomore second baseman, Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) and senior pitcher and utility player Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain). The pair will now advance on the national ballot for an opportunity at becoming CoSIDA Captial One Academic All-Americans,

The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2012-13 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport), who last week was named Sage's 2012-2013 Female Athlete of the Year as well as the 2013 Skyline Conference Softball Player of the Year, ranks nationally in five different categories. She ranks 43 in runs scored per game (1.16), while ranking 77^th in batting average (0.451). She is also ranked in slugging percentage (0.707) as well as home runs (6), and triples (3).

She not only leads Sage in batting average, but the entire conference in batting with her blistering .451 average. She also has a team-leading 60 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, and six home runs. She had a .707 slugging percentage that matched her impressive .468 on-base percentage. Beikirch had 15 multiple-hit games this season, while starting all 38 games for the Gators.

Beikirch is already making her own run for several of Sage's career marks in just two seasons on the softball diamond. She already has 122 career hits in 84 games played and started, while carrying a .442 career batting average and 12 home runs, while ranking 5th in career hits, third in career home runs and fourth in runs scored.

Away from the field, she is a two-time Sage Scholar-Athlete honoree and is a biology major with a 3.91 grade point average.

Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain), who is also a candidate for the 2012-2013 NCAA Woman of the Year, was named to the 2013 Skyline Conference Second Team at two positions as she was chosen as both a starting pitcher and a utility player. Newberg was also named Sage's Gator of the Year in softball as the team Most Valuable Player, marking her second selection after winning the award in 2011. Twice this spring she was named the Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Week as well as the ECAC Metro NY-NJ Pitcher of the Week once on another occasion. She has shattered several of Sage's career pitching marks, while also making quite a statement as a performer at the plate in her three seasons in a Sage uniform. She holds the career record for most strikeouts 261 and most wins 28, while ranking among the top performers as well in innings with 338.0 (No. 2), complete games (36, No. 5), and ERA with a 3.29, which is sixth. She also holds Sage single-season marks for most games (30), most wins (16), and most strikeouts (119). She ranks in the Top 10 in several categories as well having played in 106 games with 321 at-bats, 95 hits and 12 doubles. Newberg ranks nationally with her 74 strikeouts and a two shutout wins.

Newberg, who has excelled in the classroom, is a nursing major with a 3.78 grade point average. A member of three honor societies and is a Dean's List student. She has served for two years as the Sage Student Athlete Advisory Committee as the president and was named the recipient of the 2012 ECAC Merit Medal for her contributions to Sage and the Sage student-athletes.

NCAA Division III

POSITION NAME INSTITUTION CL. HOMETOWN GPA Major(s)

Catcher Carol Brown SKIDMORE COLLEGE Sr. Seattle, WA 3.98 Mathematics

Infield Gillian McCarthy RPI Sr. Worthington, OH 3.93 Business &

Management & Comm. (Dual)

Infield Sarah Fordyce ST. JOHN FISHER COLLEGE Sr. Jordan, NY 3.70 Accounting

Infield Kristen Beikirch THE SAGE COLLEGES So. Brockport, NY 3.91 Biology

Infield Lucia Meola SUNY CORTLAND Sr. Liverpool, NY 3.53 Physical

Education

Infield Stephanie Caravello BROOKLYN COLLEGE Jr. Brooklyn, NY 3.98 Exercise Science

Infield Jessica Van Galen MANHATTANVILLE Sr. Bedford Hills, NY 3.78 Education &

Mathematics