Sports News: Spring 2000

June 8, 2000

AZZOLINO NAMED GTE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Senior shortstop Zan Azzolino (Lodi, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) of the Moravian College softball team has been named to the 2000 GTE Academic All-America® College Division Softball Third Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The College Division is made up of all the NCAA Division II and III schools in the nation as well as all NAIA schools. Student-athletes from NCAA Division I schools are named to the University Division Teams. To be eligible for GTE Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve.

Azzolino, who graduated in May with a 3.63 grade-point average in French and secondary education, was also named to the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll for the third time this spring. Azzolino’s other honors at Moravian include being a Commonwealth Conference First Team All-Star three times and a Second Team All-Star as a freshman, a two-time NCAA Division III East Regional All-Tournament Team selection and a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region Third Team honoree in 1999. Azzolino is also Moravian’s 2000 NCAA Women of the Year nominee.

Azzolino led Moravian to its third straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearance this spring and she helped the team to a 26-12 record. Azzolino led the 2000 Greyhounds with a .374 batting average, 24 runs scored and three triples. She added 40 hits, three doubles, 13 RBIs, 49 total bases, five walks and she struck out just once this season, her final at-bat of the year.

In four years, Azzolino led Moravian to a 112-52 record, three NCAA Tournament bids, two Commonwealth Conference Championships and two MAC Playoff appearances. Azzolino leaves Moravian with three records – most games played (162), most assists (320) and most consecutive at-bats without a strikeout (141). Azzolino also ranks in the top five in the Greyhound record books in at-bats (452), hits (158), runs (96), triples (11) and total bases (193).

Azzolino is the 13th Moravian student-athlete and second softball player to be named to the GTE Academic All-America® Teams. There have been a total of 17 Academic All-Americans at Moravian including 12 over the past seven years.