WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey – Freshman shortstop Caroline Baratta and senior third baseman Brittany Colombo of the Marist softball team both won major Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference awards on Wednesday night. Baratta was named MAAC Rookie of the Year, while Colombo was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Baratta was also named First Team All-MAAC and was a unanimous selection to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Sophomore outfielder Ali Milam was a unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection. Red-shirt sophomore catcher Claire Oberdorf was named Second Team All-MAAC.
 
Here is a closer look at the honorees' seasons:
 
Caroline Baratta

• Three-time MAAC Rookie of the Week.
• Only Red Fox to appear in all 55 games (54 starts at shortstop & batting leadoff).
• Hitting .323 with three homers, 23 RBIs, team-leading 36 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases.
• Has been ranked nationally all season as one of the toughest hitters to strikeout (10 in 189 at bats).

 
Brittany Colombo

• Has a .971 fielding percentage (just five errors in 175 chances).
• Has 116 assists and 54 putouts this season.
• Has helped turn eight double plays.
• Four-year starter at third base whose 203 games played rank seventh in program history.

 
Ali Milam

• Has 54 RBIs – tied for the highest single-season total in program history.
• In addition to RBIs, leads team in average (.380), homers (11), on-base percentage (.468), slugging percentage (.646), and total bases (102).
• Has three games this season with at least five RBIs.
• Two MAAC Player of the Week awards.

 
Claire Oberdorf

• Leads team in stolen bases (14) and hit by pitches (15).
• Hitting .266 with four homers and 20 RBIs.
• Has thrown out 52 percent of potential base stealers (12 out of 23).
• Named MAAC Player of the Week on April 17.

 
A total of 13 Red Foxes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team, which requires at least a 3.2 grade-point average and being of at least sophomore standing with at least two semesters enrolled at the institution. The number of honorees tied for the most in the conference.
 

Student-Athlete	Major	All-Academic Team honors
Brittany Colombo	Business Administration	Third
Gabrielle Kelliher	Medical Technology	Third
Kourtney Paul	Business Administration	Third
Miranda Perez	Business Administration	Third
Megan Beiermeister	Psychology/Special Education	Second
Brandi Coon	Software Development	Second
Kallen Leeseberg	Fashion Merchandising	Second
Claire Oberdorf	Math/Adolescence Education	Second
Casey Page	Digital Media	Second
Brooke Peterson	Environmental Science/Policy	Second
Ali Milam	Digital Media	First
Amanda Sartori	Biomedical Sciences	First
Jade Sinskul	Business Administration	First

 
The Marist softball team will resume play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship on Thursday, when the sixth-seeded Red Foxes take on second-seeded Fairfield at 9 a.m.