Hoag named First Team Academic All-District

Senior middle blocker Megan Hoag has been named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 1 first team honoree. Hoag, a psychology major and Binghamton University scholar, was one of just three America East athletes named academic all-district and the only one to receive first team honors. District 1 covers schools throughout the New England and mid-Atlantic region.

Hoag ranks among the America East’s top 10 in kills, service aces, hitting percentage, digs and blocks. She leads the Bearcats in kills and aces. The 2005 All-America East honorable mention became only the seventh player in BU history to reach 1,000 kills this weekend, and is also one of only five BU players to ever reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Hoag has also been a standout student, compiling a 3.93 GPA while balancing classwork with practices and road trips.

Joining Hoag as District 1 winners are: Christine Strawson of Holy Cross, Ivy Zuidhof of Rhode Island, Shellane Ogoshi of Hofstra and Martina Wagner of Long Island University.

Softball signs three for 2008

The Binghamton softball team received national letters of intent from three high school seniors this past weekend, set to join the team for the 2008 season. All three players come with impressive high school rÃ.ésumÃ.és, and will look to make immediate impacts on the team. The recruiting class is the first for new head coach Ali Brian.

Kelly Shuldt, a local catcher who played high school softball at Whitney Point High School, will come to the Bearcats with the distinction of being named both All-STAC and all-division. She will be expected to see some time behind the plate right away when she arrives next season.

Emily Phillips of Pickerington, Ohio, is a first baseman who, as a junior, was named first-team All-Ohio Capital Conference, first team All-District and first team All-Metro. She was also her team’s MVP and led her squad to a district title. She is believed to be one of the premier first basemen in the state of Ohio, and chose Binghamton after being heavily recruited by several other schools.

Emily Yodoqitz is a pitcher/outfielder from Suffern, N.Y., who was named all-league and all-section last season, as well as second team all-county. She brings versatility to the team, as she posses strong hitting as well as an ability to pitch.

The Bearcats will open their season on March 2 at the East Carolina Tournament, where Brian and the team will look to show that they can put the disappointments of the past few years behind them.