Northern Kentucky University’s Dani Devlin and Sydney Ferrante were honored as a part of the All-Atlantic Sun Conference team, the league office announced. Devlin was named to the first team, while Ferrante was an all-freshman selection.
The awards mark the first time an NKU softball player has received postseason recognition in the Division I era.
“I’m so proud of both Dani and Sydney for their all-conference selection,” said head coach Kathy Stewart. “We believed that both could be difference makers for our program and they have proven that this year, and I couldn’t be happier for them.”
Devlin, a sophomore catcher from Chicago, Illinois, was far-and-away NKU’s top offensive producer, leading the Norse with a .347 batting average, 19 extra-base hits including 12 home runs, 30 RBIs and a .712 slugging percentage that ranked fourth among conference batters.
Half of Devlin’s home runs came against league opponents, ranking third in the A-Sun, and her 12 long balls were the most by a Norse player in the Division I era, surpassed just once in team history when Kaylin Steinmetz had 23 homers during the 2012 season.
Devlin was consistent as well, putting together a team-high nine-game hittitng streak from March 29-April 19, batting .455 over the stretch with three home runs and seven RBIs, including games against A-Sun foes Lipscomb, North Florida and Stetson.
Earlier in the season, Devlin earned NKU’s first-ever A-Sun Player of the Week award after going 9-for-16 with eight runs scored and eight RBIs as the Norse went 3-2 during Spring Break games against Tennessee State and Alabama State.
Ferrante, a freshman shortstop from Southington, Connecticut, was a strong addition to the Norse lineup, starting all 48 games for the Norse, compiling a .267 batting average with eight doubles, a pair of home runs and nine RBIs while scoring a team-best 27 runs.
Ferrante was a fixture near the top of the Norse lineup, standing second on the team with a .359 on-base percentage while drawing a team-best 20 walks as well. She racked up a 14-game on-base streak running from April 1-21, during which she scored 10 runs for the Norse and posted four multi-hit games. Defensively, Ferrante had a hand in 11 of NKU’s 30 double plays turned on the season.
From NKU Athletics