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Augsburg's Gormley named MIAC Softball Coach of the Year; 4 Auggies earn conference softball honors ALL-MIAC SOFTBALL TEAM -- CLICK HERE
Third baseman Jennifer Castillo (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) was named the MIAC's Rookie of the Year and earned All-MIAC honors, along with Auggie infielder/pitcher Tiffany Magnuson (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy HS) and catcher Ashley Westerman (SR, Bemidji, Minn.). Infielder Jolene Ross (SR, Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. Under Gormley, in his second year as Augsburg's head coach, the Auggies finished 20-23 overall and 15-7 in MIAC play in 2008, one of the program's most dramatic comeback seasons in school history. After finishing 4-34 last season and starting 4-14 this season, Augsburg won 16 of its final 25 games to reach the 20-win mark for the first time since the 1995 season (20-18) and just the ninth time in the last 30 years (since the 1979 season). Augsburg reached the MIAC postseason playoffs for the first time in the event's five-year history this year, while also reaching the postseason for the first time since 1984. An assistant coach under John Tschida for nine seasons -- three seasons (1996-98) at St. Mary's University and six seasons (2000-06) at the University of St. Thomas -- Gormley's college teams have produced a 367-116 overall record (201-41 in MIAC play) in his 11 seasons. Castillo was one of just three first-year players to earn a spot on the 22-member All-MIAC squad this season, and the first Auggie to be named MIAC Rookie of the Year since the conference's coaches began awarding the Rookie of the Year honor in 2003. Castillo started all 43 games this season for the Auggies, 41 games at third base. She led the team with a .403 batting average (50-of-124) with 19 runs scored, six doubles and 22 RBI (second-most on the team). She was second on the squad in both slugging percentage (.452) and on-base percentage (.457), while also ranking second on the team with 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts. Her 50 hits are fourth-most in a single season in school history, while her 124 at-bats are sixth-most and her 104 defensive assists are also sixth-most. In MIAC overall statistics (all games), Castillo ranked ninth in batting average this season, one of just 11 MIAC players to hit .400 or better (playing in at least 60 percent of conference games). Her on-base percentage ranked 11th among league players, and her 104 defensive assists was tops among league players. In conference games only, Castillo hit .453 (29-of-64), ranking ninth among conference players in batting average. Her .507 conference on-base percentage was sixth-best. Magnuson is one of only two MIAC juniors -- Gustavus infielder Rachel Click is the other -- to earn All-MIAC first-team honors in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons. She was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Midwest Region third team last week. Augsburg's leadoff hitter, Magnuson hit .390 (53-of-136), with six doubles, five triples, two home runs and 12 RBI. She was second on the team in batting average, and led the team in both slugging percentage (.551) and on-base percentage (.461). She was 12-of-14 in stolen bases this season, one of four Auggies to have 10 or more stolen bases. Defensively, Magnuson played three positions for the Auggies this season -- first base, second base and pitcher -- and committed just four errors in 212 chances for a team-best .981 fielding percentage. Pitching for the first time in her collegiate career, Magnuson appeared in 14 games as a reliever with a 3-0 record and 4.89 earned-run average. Pitching in 34.1 innings this season, Magnuson collected eight strikeouts against 16 walks, while allowing a .312 opponent batting average. In her career, Magnuson is hitting .379 (132-of-348) with 74 runs scored, 17 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs and 30 RBI. She has a .517 slugging percenage and .446 on-base percentage, to go along with 42 stolen bases in 51 attempts. She has a .967 career fielding percentage, wtih just 17 errors in 515 defensive chances. A two-sport athlete, Magnuson is also a three-time All-MIAC first-team women's hockey selection (one of only three MIAC juniors to be named All-MIAC first team in 2006, 2007 and 2008). She was also named Augsburg's Women's Outstanding Athlete of the Year at the inaugural Auggie Awards in April. A catcher, Westerman finished this season hitting a career-best .331 (48-of-145), with 25 runs scored and team-highs of 31 RBI and 15 extra-base hits (11 doubles, two triples, two home runs), along with a .476 slugging percentage and .358 on-base percentage. Defensively, she threw out 11 baserunners trying to steal in 54 attempts, and had a .973 fielding percentage, with just six errors in 224 chances. She led the MIAC in overall statistics in both plate appearances (156) and at-bats (145), and her 185 defensive putouts were sixth-best among MIAC players in overall statistics. In conference play, Westerman hit .365 (27-of-74) with 23 RBI, a total fourth-best among MIAC players. In her career, Westerman started every one of the 153 games Augsburg played in her four seasons, hitting .285 (129-of-452), with 59 runs scored, 32 doubles (third-most in school history), four triples, two home runs, 66 RBI (fifth-most in school history), a .387 slugging percentage and .320 on-base percentage. She completed her career with a .949 fielding percentage, with just 34 errors in 668 chances. Her 99 career games as a catcher is a school record, as is her 31 career runners caught stealing. A two-time Academic All-MIAC selection and National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete in 2005, Westerman earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 second-team honors last week. A physics and mathematics major with a 3.57 grade-point average, Westerman is a Sunquist Scholar, Dean's List honoree and member of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In April, she was named as one of four women's finalists for the school's top senior student-athlete honor, the Honor Athlete award, at the inaugural Auggie Awards. Ross was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team, a part of the conference's sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. It is Ross' third conference award of her career, after being named All-MIAC in 2005 and All-MIAC honorable-mention in 2007. Ross hit .308 (41-of-133) this season with three doubles, eight RBI, a .391 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts. In her career, Ross started 150 games with 146 hits (fourth-most in school history), 82 runs scored (10th-most in school history), 38 stolen bases (fifth-most in school history), 155 total bases (ninth-most in school history) and 280 defensive assists (fifth-most in school history). To return to Augsburg Softball, click here To return to Augsburg Athletics, click here Augsburg College, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. This is
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MINNEAPOLIS (5/12/08) -- Tim Gormley, who led Augsburg College to one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball history, was named the conference's Coach of the Year, while four Auggies earned conference awards, announced on Monday.