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Mitchell named Gatorade player of the year
Friday, June 26, 2009
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2009 McDonough High School graduate Melanie Mitchell has been named the Maryland Gatorade softball player of the year after a phenomenal pitching campaign that saw her lead the Rams to the Class 2A state title on May 23.
Mitchell capped her dominant career with an undefeated senior season, posting a 19-0 mark on the mound with a perfect 0.00 earned run average — only yielding an unearned run in the second game of the year while tossing 18 shutouts. She recorded 315 strikeouts in just 133 innings, fanning nearly 17 batters per game. Mitchell was also a force offensively during the season with a .463 batting average, 16 RBIs, 16 runs scored, 26 walks and a .667 on-base percentage.
Gatorade state players of the year are selected on the basis of athletic excellence accompanied by high standards of academic achievement and exemplary personal character demonstrated on and off the field. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE Magazine, which is comprised of 25 regionalized editions that are currently distributed in more than 7,000 high schools nationwide.
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As a state winner, Mitchell was eligible for the Gatorade national player of the year, which was claimed by Kenzie Fowler of Arizona. Mitchell is the latest in a list of Southern Maryland Athletic Conference talents who have received the Gatorade state honor. Other SMAC winners include Huntingtown's Kerry Hickey (2007), Calvert's Megan Elliott (2006), McDonough's Abbey Welch (2003) and Northern's Renee Oursler (1999).
