MORAVIAN’S MARIA DeBONIS NAMED LOUSIVLLE SLUGGER/NFCA SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

STARKVILLE, MS --- Sophomore pitcher/designated player Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) of the Moravian College softball team have been named to the 2007 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-American Second Team announced by the NFCA Thursday evening at the banquet to kickoff the 2007 NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia.

DeBonis, who was an at-large selection, has helped the Greyhounds to a 35-5 record this season and the team’s tenth straight trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament including a fifth straight berth in the regional championship game last weekend, and a second NCAA Division III World Series appearance in the last four seasons. Moravian won at least 23 games for the 14th consecutive season and was also 13-1 in the Commonwealth Conference regular season. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games nine times under head coach John Byrne including the last seven years, won their seven straight Commonwealth Conference Tournament title and eighth consecutive Commonwealth Conference Championship.

DeBonis, who was named the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year and to the Commonwealth Conference and NFCA All-East Region First Team, is 18-2 with a 0.95 ERA, 11 shutouts, a no-hitter of Eastern University on April 24th, 173 strikeouts and 52 walks in 133 1/3 innings of action. DeBonis, who hits as the designated player when not pitching, has 32 hits, 21 runs, six doubles, a triple, four home runs and 23 RBIs this year, and she was named to the Montclair Regional All-Tournament Team.

DeBonis is Moravian’s third NFCA All-American with Heather Bortz and Meagan Hennessy each earning a first team and second team selection during their careers.

Moravian, the fifth seed, will open the 2007 NCAA Division III World Series on Friday, May 18th in a first round game against fourth seeded DePauw (IN) University at 1:30 p.m. at the James I. Moyer Complex in Salem, Virginia. The tournament runs through Monday, May 21st with the if necessary championship game scheduled for Tuesday, May 22nd.

The complete list of NFCA All-Americans is available at www.nfca.org.