May 14, 1997
Notre Dame Softball Players Earn Post-Season Honors
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Four Notre Dame softball players have
been named to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District V softball team
while three players have been named to the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association all-mideast region team. Seniors Joy
Battersby, Katie Marten, Kara McMahon and Meghan Murray, who will
graduate from Notre Dame on May 18, have been named to the
academic all-district team and advance to the national ballot for
Academic All-America status. Marten was named to the coaches'
first team all-region and advances to the national ballot for
All-America consideration. Murray and sophomore Angela Bessolo
were named second team all-region.
Battersby has been a four-year pitcher at Notre Dame, finishing
her career with a 45-34 record, and has twice been selected as an
Academic All-American. The Morris, Ill., native was a second team
selection in 1996 and a third team selection in 1995. Battersby
boasts a 3.73 grade-point average as a science pre-professional
studies and psychology major.
Marten has been selected twice as an academic All-American and by
the NFCA as an All-American as designated player. The Lisle,
Ill., native was a second team Academic All-America selection in
1996 and a third ream selection in 1995. She was voted to the
NFCA coaches All-America third team in 1995 and 1996 as designated
player and could become the first three-time All-American in Notre
Dame softball history. She closed her career at Notre Dame as the
all-time leader in stolen bases (58), triples (13) and runs scored
(137) and is second in batting (.368). Marten has a 3.43 GPA in
Arts and Letters pre-professional studies.
Murray was a second team Academic All-American in 1996 and was
voted the BIG EAST player of the year in both 1996 and 1997. The
shortstop is the only player in Notre Dame softball history to hit
over .400 in a season as she accomplished this both as a junior
(.404) and as a senior (.422). The Minnetonka, Minn., native
leaves Notre Dame with the highest career batting average at .380.
Murray holds a 3.400 GPA in finance and business economics.
McMahon is making her first appearance on the Academic
All-District team in 1997. The Pasadena, Texas, native batted
.313 this season and compiled a .926 fielding percent at third
base. McMahon was a two-time first team All-BIG EAST selection
and has the fourth-most assists in school history. She has a
3.784 GPA as a science pre-professional major and will attend
dental school next year.
Bessolo pitched 153 innings in 1997 and compiled a 15-10 to earn
second-team all-region honors for the first time. After starting
the season with an 8-8 record, the Lakewood, Calif., native got
into a groove and went 7-2 the rest of the season. She finished
with an ERA of 1.46, the best on the team and her 0.85 ERA was the
lowest in the BIG EAST in 1997.
