WALTHAM, Mass. - Brandeis University softball sophomore 2B Melisa Cagar of Ridgewood, N.J., has added two All-New England honors to her resume this season. She was a first-team All-Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and by the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA).
Cagar, who previously earned first-team All-University Athletic Association honors, was the Judges' key offensive threat this season at the top of the lineup. She led the team in batting average (.426), hits (63), runs scored (39) and stolen bases (32), ranking in the top five of the UAA in all four categories. Her 32 stolen bases rank 21st in all of NCAA Division III play, setting a school single-season record, while her 42 steals in two seasons already rank second on the Judges' all-time list. Cagar's 63 hits were the second-highest single-season total in Brandeis history. The only Brandeis player to start all 45 of Brandeis's games this season, she hit safely in 33, including 23 multiple-hit games. Her season-high eight-game hitting streak from April 1 to April 14 constisted entirely of multi-hit games, raising Cagar's average 120 points, from .273 to .393,
Cagar helped the Judges earn the top seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England softball tournament for the second year in a row and their third trip overall in head coach Jessica Johnson's three seasons. Brandeis were the tournament runners-up, finishing the season ranked No. 7 in New England with a record of 28-17. It was the team's fourth-straight 20-win season, setting a program record.
Cagar is a 2007 graduate of Ridgewood High School. She is the daughter of Cengiz and Virginia Cagar of Ridgewood, N.J.
For more information on Brandeis softball, please visit our web site at http://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/spring/soft.