NEW HAVEN, CT - Caldwell College junior second baseman Gina Capardi has been named the 2008 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Softball Player of the Year in balloting released on Thursday. The head coaches conducted the voting. Furthermore, Georgian Court University junior right-hander Samantha Sasko was voted Pitcher of the Year, while Nyack College freshman first baseman Christina Braziel garnered Rookie of the Year accolades. Georgian Court second-year head coach Jeff Franquet picked up Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year, while Nyack College was given the annual Team Sportsmanship Award.

Capardi, a who is in her first year at Caldwell after transferring from Fordham, currently ranks third in the CACC in batting average (.423) and leads the conference in hits (69), runs batted in (43) and total bases (110). She is tied for first in runs scored (47). She is also tied for second with four triples and tied for third with seven home runs. Capardi was also the first team selection at shortstop for the Cougars, who are the No. 2 seed for the 2008 CACC Softball Tournament.

Sasko, who hails from Groveville, NJ, is having a dominant season for the Lions, who are currently ranked 18^th in the latest NFCA National Poll. Sasko leads the conference in wins (she is 26-6), strikeouts (260), innings pitched (191.2), and stands second in earned run average (1.35). Sasko, who was named the Most Valuable Player at last season's CACC Tournament, will help lead the top-seeded Lions as they compete for their second straight title.

Braziel, a first-baseman from Magnolia, TX, stands eighth in the CACC with a .391 batting average in her first collegiate season. She is tied for second with 16 doubles and has also contributed 45 hits, 21 RBI and three homers.

Franquet led the Lions to a CACC regular-season championship after finishing the conference slate with a 22-2 mark. The squad is 37-12 overall and ranked 18^th in the latest NFCA Poll. The Lions will be trying for their second straight CACC Championship this weekend and with it an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Tournament. The CACC Tournament will be held at Caldwell College from Thursday, May 1 to Saturday, May 3.

Nyack earned the Team Sportsmanship award for the seventh consecutive season. The Warriors are guided by third-year head coach Mandy Aikens.

The complete All-CACC team is listed on the following page. The team has a different look this season, as there are only three repeat first-team selections (GCU's Heather Walker and Sasko and Mallorie Mathews of Bloomfield College). Five freshmen have earned All-CACC honors, along with nine seniors.

FIRST TEAM

1B       Kyrie Timbrook         Caldwell               So.        Los Gatos, CA       

2B       Gina Capardi            Caldwell              Jr.          West Caldwell, NJ

SS       Cara Piasecki           Dominican           So.        Port Monmouth, NJ              

3B       Nicole Bodrog          Caldwell               Sr.         Mount Laurel, NJ

OF      Sarah Beck                 Dominican           Jr.          Milton, NY

OF      Lauren Armstrong     Holy Family           Sr.         Williamstown, NJ                  

OF      Jessica Comiskey      Georgian Court     Fr.         Ewing, NJ

C        Heather Walker        Georgian Court     Sr.         Hanover, Ontario

DP     Annie Forte                Caldwell                Fr.         Toms River, NJ

P       Samantha Sasko        Georgian Court     Jr.          Groveville, NJ        

P        Katie Turner              Wilmington            So.        Smyrna, DE

AL      Mallorie Mathews       Bloomfield             Jr.          Fair Lawn, NJ         

AL      Danielle Genovese    Caldwell                 So.        Livingston, NJ

AL = At-Large

SECOND TEAM

1B     Kristine Knuth            Dominican               Sr.         Staten Island, NY

2B     Mallory Kirchner        Georgian Court         Jr.          South Amboy, NJ 

SS     Nicole Hays                Wilmington               Sr.         Bel Air, MD

3B     Lindsay Watson         Wilmington              So.        Georgetown, DE

OF    Kristin Tomlinson         Wilmington              Fr.         Millsboro, DE

OF    Dayna Phillips              USP                          Fr.         Rosenhayn, NJ

OF   Julie Sito                       Georgian Court        Sr.         Elyra, OH

C     Megan Harper               Goldey-Beacom       Sr.         Atco, NJ 

DP   Jacque Curtis                Philadelphia             Sr.         Punxsutawney, PA

DP    Nicole Fortino               Georgian Court        Sr.         Brick, NJ 

P      Brittany Pulido              Caldwell                    Fr.         Ojai, CA

P     Jody Searfoss                Holy Family               So.        Weatherly, PA

AL   Vickie Berardi                 Bloomfield                  Jr.          Linden, NJ

AL    Rachel Morgan               USP                          So.        Clackamas, OR       

AL = At-Large

Player of the Year: Gina Capardi, Jr., 2B, Caldwell

Pitcher of the Year: Samantha Sasko, Jr., RHP, Georgian Court

Rookie of the Year: Christina Braziel, Fr., 1B, Nyack

Coach of the Year: Jeff Franquet, Georgian Court

Team Sportsmanship Award: Nyack College