Princeton University Athletics
Softball's Finley Named First-Team All Ivy; Six Tigers Honored By League
May 12, 2004 | Softball
May 12, 2004
Princeton, N.J. - Junior outfielder Melissa Finley has been named to the All-Ivy first team after leading the Tigers in nearly every offensive category and breaking Princeton's all-time record for career home runs in her third year. Princeton finished the season 24-23 overall and in a three-way tie for fourth in the league with a 7-7 mark.
The Ivy League coaches also selected sophomore pitcher Erin Snyder and freshman outfielder Stephanie Steel for the second team, and named senior first baseman Kristin Del Calvo, senior outfielder Wendy Bingham and junior second baseman Kristin Lueke to the honorable mention list. Finley, last year's Ivy League Player of the Year, had team highs in batting average (.315), hits (45), home runs (eight), runs (24), RBIs (27), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.538) and walks (18). She broke Princeton's career home run record, which was previously set at 22, with 29 homers in her first three seasons.
Snyder boasted a 1.61 overall ERA and 0.67 Ivy League ERA this season. The 2003 Rookie of the Year and unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection was injured for part of 2004 but remained in the starting lineup at the plate, where she had 33 hits, six doubles, two home runs and 17 RBIs.
Lueke, who had 38 hits and 14 runs, and Steel were solid starters for the Tigers and return to the core of the Princeton lineup next year.
Del Calvo and Bingham had brilliant finishes to their final season. Del Calvo, who started every game of her senior year at first base, ended with a seven-game hitting streak and with the second highest batting average (.287) on the team. She was also second in hits (43) and home runs (four) and tied for first in doubles (seven).
Del Calvo finished her career eighth on Princeton's all-time list in doubles (29), third in home runs (21), eighth in extra-base hits (50), fifth in fielding percentage (.981), second in total chances (1,134) and second in putouts (1,054).
Bingham, a two-year co-captain, finished third on the team in batting average (.282) and second in runs (20), and stole six bases on eight attempts. After pitching and playing outfield in her first three years, Bingham settled in her senior year into leftfield where she started all 47 games.