University of North Carolina Athletics
Spaulding 2009 NCAA Strikeout Champion
July 1, 2009 | Softball
July 1, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Danielle Spaulding was crowned an NCAA Statistical Champion for strikeouts per seven innings in 2009. Spaulidng led all of Division I pitchers with 14.3 strikeouts per seven innings, fanning 338 batters in only 165.3 innings pitched while recording a 20-4 record. Awards are familiar to the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native, as she is a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and NFCA All-America.
Spaulding helped the Tar Heels to a 47-13 record in 2009 and a spot as an NCAA regional host for the second straight season. The standout junior led the Tar Heels in home runs (12) and RBIs (45), while ranking third in runs scored (22) and fourth in batting average (.311). In the circle, she paired with fellow teammate Lisa Norris to provide one of the strongest pitching duos in the country. The junior registered 13 complete games holding opponents to only a .124 batting average.
Spaulding is only the second player in school history to earn multiple NFCA All-America awards, earning NFCA All-America second-team in 2008. Spaulding, the third-team utility/pitcher selection in 2009, also joins fellow ACC standouts Sarah Hamilton of Florida State and Jenna Rhodes of Virginia Tech as third-team selections. This year marks the first time in league history at least three players have earned NFCA All-America honors. Hamilton was second in the country in strikeouts per seven innings with 10.8, nearly four punch-outs less than Carolina's Spaulding.
The eighth Tar Heel All-America selection in school history, Spaulding joins Theresa Buscemi (1992, third team), Christine Kubin (1996, first team), Brandy Arthur (1998, first team), Kelly Ramsey (2000, third team), Tolleson (2002, second team; 2003, third team), Jaclyn Holden (2003, third team) and Crystal Cox (2006, third team).
