Kristen Curette, Carleigh Shannon and Courtney Mienkina (from left to right) helped the Bees to a 36-17 record in 2010.
DECATUR, Ala. – Three Savannah College of Art and Design softball players have been named All-Americans by the NAIA. Second baseman/pitcher Kristen Curette and outfielder Carleigh Shannon were named to the first team while third baseman Courtney Mienkina was chosen for the second team.
Curette, a 5-foot-7 senior second baseman/right-handed pitcher from Baytown, Texas, became the program’s first four-time All-American. She was named to the All-The Sun Conference team for the fourth time (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010), including in 2007 when she was named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year. Curette played in 53 games in 2010 with a .437 batting average (69-for-158), 47 runs scored, 12 doubles, three triples, three homers and 54 RBI.
She also went 10-4 as a pitcher for the Bees in 24 appearances with a 1.32 earned run average and four saves. She limited the opposition to just 39 hits and struck out 94 in 74.0 innings this season. Curette, who owns or shares 12 university records, including hits (236), home runs (23), total bases (357), RBI (168), hit by pitch (42) and ERA (1.54) in a career. She also earned the distinction of becoming the first softball player in conference history to earn Pitcher and Player of the Week honors in the same week April 4.
Shannon, a 5-5 senior center fielder from Jacksonville, Fla., earned her second All-America honor of her career. She was named to the all-conference team for the third time (2008, 2009, 2010) in her career.
Shannon batted .431 (78-of-181) with seven doubles, five triples and a home run. Shannon holds the university record for career batting average (.443) as well as hits (78) and runs scored in a season (58). She also drove in 27 runs and stole 56 bases (62 attempts). Shannon is fourth in the NAIA in stolen bases (55), 14th in runs scored (58), and 16th in hits (78).
Mienkina, a 5-7 junior third baseman from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, earned her second All-America honor in as many seasons. She was named to the all-conference team for the third time (2008, 2009, 2010) in her career. Mienkina, who was named Player of the Week once in the league this season, batted .437 (69-of-158) for SCAD this season as she had 19 extra-base hits – eight doubles, three triples and a team-leading eight homers – as she knocked in 49 runs to go along with her .677 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage. Mienkina set a university record with 107 total bases this season.
SCAD ended the 2010 season with a 36-17 record as the Bees advanced to the NAIA National Championship for the fifth time in the past six seasons.