Release courtesy of the Grand Valley State University Media Relations Department
Evansville, Ind. - A pair of GVSU softball players were named to the 2012 Daktronics Inc. All-America team, released late Tuesday night (May 15). Junior designated player Katie Martin earned Second Team All-America honors, while junior pitcher Hannah Santora was named as a Third Team All-America choice. Voting for the Daktronics Inc. All-America teams was conducted by sports information directors throughout the country.
Click here for the complete release and All-America Teams
Martin was named the 2011 Ron Lenz Daktronics National Player of the Year and also tabbed as a Daktronics First Team All-American last season. She followed up her 2011 success with another tremendous year offensively for the Lakers, who finished 2012 with a 45-15 overall record. Martin, the only GVSU player to start in all 60 games this season, led the team in batting average, doubles, walks, tied for the team lead in runs scored, and was second in hits, homers, and RBI.
She finished in the top-four in the GLIAC in 10 different categories. Martin led the conference in on-base percentage (.489) and was tied for the GLIAC lead in batting average (.426). She ranked second in the league in hits (83), doubles (18), total bases (133), and slugging percentage (.682), while ranking third in runs (56), RBI (52), and walks (28). Her 10 homers were fourth-most in the GLIAC this season.
In 2012, Martin recorded 21 multi-hit games, including eight games of three hits and one four-hit contest. She tallied 16 multi-RBI efforts, including a pair of three- and four-RBI outings. During the year, Martin owned an 18-game hitting streak and at one point, she hit safely in 30 of 31 games. She also reached base in 32 consecutive games during the season.
Martin's name is easily found throughout the Laker record books. In terms of GVSU single-season history, she is tied for second in doubles and runs scored, third in hits, fifth in total bases, tied for sixth in home runs, seventh in batting average and walks, tied for seventh in RBI, and 10th in at-bats (195).
Her name can be found 19 times in the GVSU single-season record books, which features the top-10 players in school history in 12 different offensive categories. Martin is listed three times in doubles and home runs, twice in batting average, hits, runs, RBI, total bases, and walks, and once in at-bats. Click on the PDF listed above for the updated Laker softball record books.
After finishing her junior season, Martin's name is also found several times in the Grand Valley State career records. She is the school's all-time leader in batting average (.431, 23 points better than second place), while she ranks second in home runs (39), doubles (50), and total bases (397). Martin is also third in career RBI (157) and walks (76), fifth in runs (138), and sixth in hits (226).
Having a breakout year in the circle for Grand Valley State was Santora, who earned her first All-America honors with a Daktronics Inc. Third Team All-America selection. Santora finished 2012 with a 24-6 record and a 1.90 earned run average. In 202.2 innings pitched, she tossed 26 complete games, seven shutouts, and fanned 153 batters.
Santora led all GLIAC pitchers in 2012 with seven shutouts, 26 complete games, and a .207 opponents batting average. She ranked second in the league in wins (24), third in ERA (1.90) and innings (202.2), and fourth in strikeouts (153) and games started (34).
Her 24 wins are tied for fifth-most in a single-season in GVSU history and the most by any Laker pitcher since 2004. Santora's 26 complete games and 202.2 innings pitched are the eighth-highest in both categories in school history, while her 153 strikeouts are ninth-best.
These awards added to the impressive collection of honors that Martin and Santora received in 2012. Both players were named to the All-GLIAC First Team and the Daktronics Inc. All-Midwest Region First Team. Martin was chosen to the All-Midwest Region First Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), while Santora was an NFCA Midwest Region Second Team honoree.
