May 8, 2000

GREENSBORO, N.C. - ACC Champion Florida State and North Carolina with four selections apiece lead the 2000 All-ACC Softball Team as selected by a vote of the league's five head coaches.

Maryland followed with a pair of selections to the all-conference team, while Virginia and Georgia Tech had one player selected apiece.

The Top Picks

North Carolina's Michelle Semmes was selected as the 2000 ACC Player of the Year, while Virginia's Ruby Rojas was named the Rookie of the Year, and North Carolina head coach Donna Papa was picked as the Coach of the Year.

Semmes is a two-time All-ACC selection and becomes the third North Carolina player to earn Player of the Year honors. The junior finished the regular season as the Tar Heels' leading hitter with a .394 batting average and 40 RBI on the year.

Rojas is the second-straight Virginia player to earn Rookie of the Year recognition, following Kristen Dennis a year ago. The rookie finished third on the team in batting for the Cavaliers with a .294 average and ranked fourth on the team in RBI with 23.

Papa picks up Coach of the Year recognition for the third time in her career and second time in the last three seasons. In the regular season she led North Carolina to a 6-2 conference record and the top seed in the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels finished the 2000 season with a 47-17 record, which is the highest win total in the program's history, surpassing the previous mark of 45 during the 1992 season.

A Look at the All-ACC Team

Three other Tar Heels join Semmes on the All-ACC team, including senior second baseman Crystal Henderson, who makes her second appearance on the All-Conference team after also being named to the 2000 All-ACC Tournament squad. Another two-time All-ACC pick from UNC on this year's team is sophomore catcher Natalie Anter, who led the Tar Heels and was second in the ACC with nine home runs. Rounding out the North Carolina contingent is junior pitcher Radara McHugh who finished the 2000 regular season with a league-leading ERA of 1.07 to go along with her impressive 23-6 record.

Florida State's selections to the All-Conference team are headed up by junior outfielder Serita Brooks, who was the ACC's leading hitter in 2000 with a .400 batting average to go along with a team-leading seven triples and 42 stolen bases. Joining Brooks is rookie standout Brandi Stuart, who had a strong first season at second base for FSU, finishing third on the team with a .344 batting average and was second with 36 RBI. The third Seminole is junior designated hitter Staci Brandon, who was the ¡Noles second-leading hitter with a .378 average. The final Florida State selection was sophomore pitcher Leslie Malerich, who was one of the ACC's top hurlers in 2000 as she was named pitcher of the week six times and finished with a 1.20 ERA and a 32-14 record, the most wins in the ACC this year.

Maryland's selections to the All-Conference team were headed up by sophomore catcher Beth Radford, who was the Terps' leading hitter in 2000 with a .310 average and also led the team with eight homers and 38 RBI. The other Terrapin to make the team was junior shortstop Jennifer Potzman, who was third on the team with 21 RBI in 2000 and was also an All-ACC pick in 1999.

Georgia Tech senior catcher Anne Knobbe is a two-time All-ACC selection and was the Yellow Jackets' top hitter with a .383 average this season, and led the ACC with 16 home runs and 51 RBI. Her 12 doubles on the year were tops among all Tech players.

The final member of the All-ACC team is Virginia first baseman Kristen Dennis. The sophomore was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1999 and an All-ACC pick last year. Dennis was the Cavaliers' leading hitter this season with a .312 batting average tied for first on the team with 24 RBI, while finishing second for UVa with 13 doubles.

2000 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Team

ACC Player of the Year: Michelle Semmes, North Carolina
ACC Rookie of the Year: Ruby Rojas, Virginia
ACC Coach of the Year: Donna Papa, North Carolina