Jamie Smrdel Makes History As First John Carroll Player To Earn First Team Softball All-American Status
Senior catcher Jamie Smrdel made history in 2009 as she became John Carroll's first All-American in the sport of softball
5/15/2009 11:09:15 AM
Jamie Smrdel made history throughout her four years in the John Carroll University softball program, and has done so again with the announcement that she was named to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-American first team.
Smrdel was selected as a first team catcher, one of just 15 players nationwide to earn first team honors.
In earning this honor, Smrdel becomes the first player in John Carroll softball history to be named first team All-American.
Smrdel also earned the 2009 NFCA Diamond Catcher of the Year award, becoming the second John Carroll player to receive the honor. Carrie McVicker, a 2008 JCU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, was the first Blue Streak winner of the award in 1998.
Smrdel, who was a second team All-OAC selection in 2006 and 2007 and an honorable mention in 2008, broke through onto the All-OAC first team in 2009. Leading the team and the league in batting average with a mark of .516, Smrdel collected 47 hits (including 14 doubles) and 33 RBI. She was also walked a league-high 35 times including 15 times intentionally.
At the end of her four years, Smrdel leaves the JCU program as the all-time leader in several offensive categories, most notably hits (197), doubles (49), home runs (27) and RBI (150).
In addition to earning first team All-American status, Smrdel also was named to the All-Central region first team, while freshman teammate Brittany Danilov was a second team all-region selection.
Danilov, who picked up two major Ohio Athletic Conference awards last week, compiled a record of 20-7, an ERA of 1.55, and tallied 154 strikeouts against just 28 walks in 171.2 innings of work. The totals number of wins, strikeouts and innings pitched were all John Carroll single season records.
For her efforts, Danilov was named OAC Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the John Wells Award for Pitcher of the Year.
John Carroll concluded the 2009 season with a record of 28-11 overall and 13-5 in the OAC (2nd place).