Army West Point Athletics
Softball Closes 2015 with Annual Banquet
May 27, 2015 | Softball
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army West Point softball team put the finishing touches on 2015 with its end-of-the-year awards ceremony last week with head coach Michelle DePolo handing out the plaques.
Cow Kasey McCravey copped two of the major awards repeating as the Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP as the recipient of the Darlene Dondero Award.
Sophomore Tyler McKinney was named the Defensive Player of the Year and classmateRachael Dehlinger was the Most Improved Player with Rookie of the Year honors shared by freshmen Gladys Esparza-Gallegos and Kristen McPeek. It is the second year that Kinney earned a team award after being tabbed Most Improved Player last year.
Assistant coach Jessie Bryant handed out the Army "A" to the freshmen and a letter stripe for the rest of the squad with DePolo posting words of praise for each member of her team. She also thanked her staff, the managers and the officer representatives.
Alex Gaff and Alyssa Strobehn, who closed out their careers on the diamond, were honored by the staff and their teammates.
McCravey earned several postseason honors. A three-time All-Patriot League honoree, she picked up a first team citation (second overall) at third base, along with earning a major award in being tabbed the league's Defensive Player of the Year. McCravey was also a College Sports Madness Patriot All-Conference first-team pick for the second straight year.
On the field, McCravey led the Black Knights offensively posting a .401 batting average with 69 hits including 12 doubles and eight home runs compiling 105 total bases for a .610 slugging percentage. She drove in 42 runs, scored 44 runs along with drawing 24 walks and 28 stolen bases.
McCravey broke the school single-season record for total bases (105) this year, along with tying her own mark for runs scored (44) that ranks second. She lists third in stolen bases (28) and home runs (eight), while fourth in batting average (.402) and RBI (42).
The native of Scottsdale, Ariz., continues to climb Army West Point's career charts and currently is tied for the lead in home runs (20) heading into her senior year. She is second in RBI (122), third in batting average (.367), third in stolen bases (56) and among the top 10 in hits (195), total bases (291), doubles (34) and walks (53).
McKinney took over the vacancy in center field as the senior member in the outfield with a plebe on either side. She provided strong leadership and drew applauds throughout the season from fans in pulling up with spectacular catches along with throwing out runners at home plate.
Dehlinger, a pitcher, drew four starts in five appearances along with posting a pair of wins, to include a 6-3 league win over defending champion Boston University. She went 2-for- 3 with an RBI hurling the Black Knights to a 5-3 victory over Cornell.
Esparza-Gallegos and McPeek are coming off solid freshmen years. McPeek, who batted .310 to rank third on the team, was second in doubles (11), total bases (61), slugging percentage (21) and third in runs scored (41). In league games, McPeek batted .317 with a team high five doubles.
Esparza-Gallegos earned a spot in the lineup at shortstop. She batted .238 and ranked second in runs scored (31), third in doubles (eight) and tied with McCravey for the lead in walks (24).
In league games, she led Army West Point with a .393 batting average with 22 hits, 14 runs scored and eight RBI. Esparza-Gallegos earned a pair of weekly honors with her selection as Patriot League and ECAC Division I Metro/Upstate Rookie of the Week for April 13.
Following the presentation, Paul Rader showed a video of photos he has taken of Gaff and Strobehn throughout their careers on the diamond.
TEAM AWARD WINNERS
Darlene Lee Dondero (MVP) - Kasey McCravey
Offensive Player of the Year - Kasey McCravey
Defensive Player of the Year - Tyler McKinney
Co-Rookies of the Year - Kristen McPeek and Gladys Esparza-Gallegos
Most Improved Player - Rachael Dehlinger
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Cow Kasey McCravey copped two of the major awards repeating as the Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP as the recipient of the Darlene Dondero Award.
Sophomore Tyler McKinney was named the Defensive Player of the Year and classmateRachael Dehlinger was the Most Improved Player with Rookie of the Year honors shared by freshmen Gladys Esparza-Gallegos and Kristen McPeek. It is the second year that Kinney earned a team award after being tabbed Most Improved Player last year.
Assistant coach Jessie Bryant handed out the Army "A" to the freshmen and a letter stripe for the rest of the squad with DePolo posting words of praise for each member of her team. She also thanked her staff, the managers and the officer representatives.
Alex Gaff and Alyssa Strobehn, who closed out their careers on the diamond, were honored by the staff and their teammates.
McCravey earned several postseason honors. A three-time All-Patriot League honoree, she picked up a first team citation (second overall) at third base, along with earning a major award in being tabbed the league's Defensive Player of the Year. McCravey was also a College Sports Madness Patriot All-Conference first-team pick for the second straight year.
On the field, McCravey led the Black Knights offensively posting a .401 batting average with 69 hits including 12 doubles and eight home runs compiling 105 total bases for a .610 slugging percentage. She drove in 42 runs, scored 44 runs along with drawing 24 walks and 28 stolen bases.
McCravey broke the school single-season record for total bases (105) this year, along with tying her own mark for runs scored (44) that ranks second. She lists third in stolen bases (28) and home runs (eight), while fourth in batting average (.402) and RBI (42).
The native of Scottsdale, Ariz., continues to climb Army West Point's career charts and currently is tied for the lead in home runs (20) heading into her senior year. She is second in RBI (122), third in batting average (.367), third in stolen bases (56) and among the top 10 in hits (195), total bases (291), doubles (34) and walks (53).
McKinney took over the vacancy in center field as the senior member in the outfield with a plebe on either side. She provided strong leadership and drew applauds throughout the season from fans in pulling up with spectacular catches along with throwing out runners at home plate.
Dehlinger, a pitcher, drew four starts in five appearances along with posting a pair of wins, to include a 6-3 league win over defending champion Boston University. She went 2-for- 3 with an RBI hurling the Black Knights to a 5-3 victory over Cornell.
Esparza-Gallegos and McPeek are coming off solid freshmen years. McPeek, who batted .310 to rank third on the team, was second in doubles (11), total bases (61), slugging percentage (21) and third in runs scored (41). In league games, McPeek batted .317 with a team high five doubles.
Esparza-Gallegos earned a spot in the lineup at shortstop. She batted .238 and ranked second in runs scored (31), third in doubles (eight) and tied with McCravey for the lead in walks (24).
In league games, she led Army West Point with a .393 batting average with 22 hits, 14 runs scored and eight RBI. Esparza-Gallegos earned a pair of weekly honors with her selection as Patriot League and ECAC Division I Metro/Upstate Rookie of the Week for April 13.
Following the presentation, Paul Rader showed a video of photos he has taken of Gaff and Strobehn throughout their careers on the diamond.
TEAM AWARD WINNERS
Darlene Lee Dondero (MVP) - Kasey McCravey
Offensive Player of the Year - Kasey McCravey
Defensive Player of the Year - Tyler McKinney
Co-Rookies of the Year - Kristen McPeek and Gladys Esparza-Gallegos
Most Improved Player - Rachael Dehlinger
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Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
Pitcher
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Infield
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Infield
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Outfield
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
Catcher/Infield
/ SoftballWednesday, May 27
Saturday, May 23
Monday, May 11
Thursday, April 30