PITMAN, N.J. – William Paterson juniors Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge), Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) and Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) and senior Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) all earned selections to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball All-Second Team released May 6.

Mendez, an outfielder/designated player, earned her first all-conference award after starting in 33 of 35 appearances and hitting .340. Through games of May 4, she tallied seven doubles, two triples, 21 runs scored, 15 RBI, six sacrifice hits, a .447 slugging percentage and a .414 on-base percentage. In the NJAC statistics, she was tied for 10th in triples/game (0.06) and walks/game (0.37), all while compiling 10 multi-hit games. In 91 career games (80 starts), Mendez has hit .308 with 16 doubles, 37 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Previously named to the 2009 All-NJAC First Team and the 2008 All-NJAC Second Team, Nadolny leads the Pioneers (through games of May 4) with 31 runs scored, a .426 on-base percentage and 15 walks, and ranks second with a .345 batting average and 10 doubles. A starter in 40 games who has made just two errors at second base (.989 fielding percentage), she has added three home runs, 17 RBI and a .521 slugging percentage. In the most recent league statistics, Nadolny ranked third in runs scored, fourth in runs/game (0.78), tied for sixth in walks, eighth in on-base percentage, tied for eighth in doubles, ninth in walks/game (0.38) and tied for 10th in total bases (62). Selected to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-East Region and ECAC All-Metro Region First Teams, she has hit .388 in 117 career games (115 starts) with 25 doubles, nine triples, 10 home runs, 79 RBI and 82 runs scored.

Selected to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-East Region, ECAC All-Metro Region and All-NJAC First Teams, Vitale leads the conference in doubles (16) and doubles/game (0.39, 41st in Division III) while starting in all 41 games this spring. A first baseman/pitcher, she is hitting .333 (through games of May 4) with a .571 slugging percentage, four home runs and 18 runs scored, and paces the Pioneers with 29 RBI and four sacrifice flies. In the league stats, she also ranks tied for first in sac flies, third in total bases (72), fifth in slugging percentage, tied for fifth in RBI and home runs, eighth in RBI/game (0.71), tied for eighth in homers/game (0.10) and tied for ninth in hits (42). Also 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA inside the circle this spring, her 40 doubles are two shy of matching the WP career record, and she is hitting .363 with 83 RBI and 50 runs scored in 113 career contests (103 starts).

Zippler adds to her honorable-mention all-NJAC selection from a year ago after pacing the Pioneers this season with a .351 batting average, four triples, seven sacrifice bunts and 14 steals. A starter in all 41 games who has not made an error in center field (59 putouts, three assists), she has added 27 runs scored, four home runs, 25 RBI, a .519 slugging percentage and a .410 on-base percentage. In the NJAC statistics (through games of May 4), she was fifth in steals/game (0.34), tied for fifth in triples and home runs, sixth in total bases (68) and steals, seventh in triples/game (0.10), tied for seventh in runs scored and sac bunts, eighth in hits/game (1.12) and tied for eighth in homers/game (0.10). In 166 career games (165 starts), Zippler has hit .342 with 12 triples, 105 runs scored and 81 RBI.

William Paterson (26-14-1) will look to stay alive in the double-elimination NJAC Tournament Friday, May 7, when the fourth-seeded Pioneers face sixth-seeded Richard Stockton at 1:00 p.m. at The College of New Jersey. 

NEW JERSEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nicolina Veneziano, Rowan
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Ashley Minervini, TCNJ
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Rebecca Satz, NJCU
COACH OF THE YEAR: Sally Miller, TCNJ

FIRST TEAM
Name Year Pos. School Hometown//High School
Lyndsay Buehler JR P Ramapo River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley
Ashley Minervini@ SR P TCNJ Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park
Steph Taraschi*@ SR C Rowan Mount Ephraim, NJ/Audubon
Kelly Dodd* SR 1B Richard Stockton Linwood, NJ/Mainland
Megan Durkin# SR 2B Montclair State West Orange, NJ/West Orange
Rebecca Satz FR 3B NJCU Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown
Ellen Seavers*#% SR SS TCNJ Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood
Katie Donnelly*@ SR OF Ramapo North Haledon, NJ/Eastern Christian
Crystal Lee^ SO OF TCNJ Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls
Nicolina Veneziano SO OF Rowan Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield
Allison Thibault~@ SR DP Kean Garfield, NJ/Garfield
Leslie Gonzalez*# JR At-Large Montclair State West New York, NJ/North Bergen
Jamie Minix SO At-Large Rowan Clarksboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional
Danielle Rothenberger^ SO At-Large Ramapo Livingston, NJ/Livingston

SECOND TEAM
Name Year Pos. School Hometown/High School
Lauren Fitzsimmons^ SO P TCNJ Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan
Deanna Giordano* JR P Ramapo Clifton, NJ/Clifton
Stephanie Malgeri^ JR C Ramapo Montville, NJ/Montville
Katie Yard JR 1B Kean Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough
Lindsey Nadolny*@ JR 2B William Paterson Belford, NJ/Middletown North
Steph Skroski~ SR 3B Rutgers-Camden Stratford, NJ/Sterling
Ashley Minch* SO SS Rowan Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial
Kelly Nance^ SR OF Montclair State Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro
Heidi Smith#& SR OF Rowan Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional
Christina Zippler~ SR OF William Paterson Blackwood, NJ/Washington Township
Heather Mendez JR DP William Paterson Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge
Joey Afflitto~ SO At-Large Richard Stockton Brick, NJ/Brick
Danielle Hagel+% SR At-Large TCNJ Egg Harbor City, NJ/Oakcrest
Jenna Vitale* JR At-Large William Paterson Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley

HONORABLE MENTION
Name Year Pos. School Hometown/High School
Jamie Gasko SO P Richard Stockton Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson
Brooke Shetter SR C Richard Stockton Atco, NJ/Hammonton
Danielle Accardi# SO 3B Richard Stockton East Brunswick, NJ/Mount St. Mary
Rachel Wong JR OF Ramapo Livingston, NJ/Livingston

Key:
* First Team All-Conference 2009
^ Second Team All-Conference 2009
~ Honorable Mention 2009
# First Team All-Conference 2008
@ Second Team All-Conference 2008
+ Honorable Mention 2008
& First Team 2007
% Honorable Mention 2007