SLU senior racks up conference postseason honors

For a second consecutive year, senior left fielder Kristin Nicoletti (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) of the Saint Louis softball team has been chosen to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference first team by a vote of the league's head coaches.

Nicoletti also earned a second straight selection to the A-10 Academic All-Conference squad in voting conducted by the league's softball sports information directors. 

A starter in all 53 games this season, Nicoletti led the Billikens in batting average (.339), hits (59), multiple-hit games (17), runs (38), on-base percentage (.395), triples (five), total bases (79) and stolen bases (23). She was second on the team in doubles (10) and slugging percentage (.454) and added 16 RBIs, 15 walks and three sacrifice bunts.

Nicoletti struck out just once every 9.2 plate appearances and committed only one error while patrolling left field. Her career-high 13-game hitting streak from March 12 through April 1 was SLU's longest of the season.  In the A-10 statistical rankings, Nicoletti is tied for the league lead in stolen bases, second in triples, tied for second in runs, fourth in hits, and tied for sixth in doubles and total bases. Through games of May 1, she ranked 10th nationally in triples. 

Nicoletti's 2011 numbers placed her among the top 10 on nine Saint Louis single-season lists. She was third in runs, fourth in hits and triples, fifth in stolen-base attempts (28), sixth in stolen bases, tied for seventh in total bases, tied for ninth in at-bats (174), 10th in batting average and tied for 10th in doubles.  A business administration major, Nicoletti concluded her career as one of the most prolific offensive players in Saint Louis softball history.

She holds the Billikens' career records for games started (220), batting average (.316), hits (225), runs (150), total bases (290), stolen bases (134), at-bats (713) and stolen-base attempts (150). Nicoletti also ranks among SLU's career top 10 in games played (second, 222), doubles (tied for third, 32), triples (fourth, nine), walks (fourth, 52), on-base percentage (sixth, .364), slugging percentage (sixth, .407) and RBIs (eighth, 61).

She was part of a senior class that captured 104 victories, tying the SLU softball record for most wins by a class.