Softball's Nalin Bennett, Kristen Kaelin, and Kealan Waldron Earn All-BIG EAST Third Team Honors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Sophomore Nalin Bennett (East Syracuse, N.Y.), freshman Kristen Kaelin (Parlin, N.J.), and senior Kealan Waldron (Oak Park, Ill.) were named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, as announced at the conference’s annual championship banquet.

Bennett has played in 23 BIG EAST contests, and boasts a team-best .346 batting average with three homers and nine RBI in those games. The centerfielder also leads the conference with 10 steals in BIG EAST games only.

Kaelin batted .306 with four dingers and 12 RBI in conference games. Four of her five home runs on the season have come in conference play, which ranks her 10^th in the BIG EAST. Overall, Kaelin is hitting .312 with five long balls and 30 RBI.

Waldron hit .327 with six doubles, three homers, and 12 RBI in 19 conference games this season. The third baseman is ranked eighth in the BIG EAST with a .654 slugging percentage. She was previously named to the All-BIGEAST Second Team in 2008.

Louisville junior Melissa Roth was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Syracuse freshman Jenna Caira took BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors, while Heteniak’s Blue Demon coaches were named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

The eighth-seeded Pirates will take on the number one seed, DePaul, on Thursday, May 7, in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship.

All-BIG EAST First Team

Chelsea Bemis, Louisville, So., INF

Britta Giddens, USF, Sr., INF

Becca Heteniak, DePaul, Jr., P/UT

Christine Lux, Notre Dame, Jr., INF

Dani Miller, Notre Dame, Fr., OF

Beth Northway, Notre Dame, Sr., DP

Amber Patton, DePaul, Sr., INF

Janine Richardson, USF, Fr., OF

Melissa Roth, Louisville, Jr., C

Mary Rose Sheehy, Providence, Sr., OF