Each of EMU’s sports was represented on the ODAC All-Academic Team except for men’s volleyball, which competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference.  The CVC will also release an all-academic team later this summer.

The full ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the sixth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the third year in a row.  With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only, Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only, and Shenandoah University for field hockey and track & field only), 1,350 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2011-12 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.  He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet at .  Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook (click ) and follow  on Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.  to see the full list of the ODAC All-Academic Team.

Nels Akerson – Cross Country
Elizabeth Alderfer – Cross Country
Laura Beckler – Women’s Soccer
Bradley Billings – Baseball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Rachel Breeden – Softball
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Bethany Crouse – Women’s Soccer
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Allison Eanes – Cross Country
Katie Eckman – Cross Country
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Estrada – Baseball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Lynae Fry – Women’s Volleyball
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Phillip Jordan – Baseball
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Soccer
Justin King – Baseball
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Soccer
Valerie Landis – Field Hockey
Mattie Lehman – Women’s Volleyball, Softball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Jenna Longenecker – Field Hockey
Becca Longenecker – Field Hockey
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Thomas Millary – Cross Country, Track & Field
Michelle Miller – Women’s Soccer
Katarina Napfel – Softball
Peter Nelson – Cross Country
Cara Paden – Women’s Soccer, Track & Field
Jesse Parker – Cross Country, Track & Field
Stephanie Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Andy Richter – Baseball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Bryce Shank – Men’s Soccer
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Amber Shelly – Women’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track & Field
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Raquel Stoltzfus – Women’s Soccer
Scotty Tiosso – Men’s Soccer
Jon Trice – Baseball
Keri Weaver – Cross Country
Kori Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Taylor Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Roberto Wingfield – Cross Country
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Marla Young – Women’s Basketball
Kelsey Zook – Women’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

EMU 8, Old Westbury 0 – 6 innings
In the day’s opener, the women took their third consecutive mercy-shortened shutout of the weekend.  (Madison, VA/Madison County) pitched a complete game two hitter.

Junior (Shenandoah, VA/Page County) powered the offense with a three-run homerun.

EMU 2, Ferrum 1
Eastern Mennonite closed their time at the Bash by taking on co-host Ferrum College, which entered the game with a 14-1 record.  The Lady Royals escaped with the one-run win in a pitchers’ duel, handing the Panthers just their second loss of the season.

Ace (Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) took the circle for EMU against Ferrum’s Hannah Shumaker.  Lee helped her cause from the plate before even stepping into the circle, when she led off the game with a double.  (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) came through with the two-out single to center, bringing Lee home for a 1-0 lead.

Lee then retired the first nine Panther batters and stranded two runners in the fourth.  Ferrum bunched together three of their four hits in the sixth, plating their only run on a two-out single to tie the game at 1-1.

But (Stanley, VA/Page County) started the rally for EMU in their next at-bat, as the first baseman led off with a single to center.  (Berkeley Springs, WV/Berkeley Springs) ran for Jenkins, and made her way to third on an error after Aylor popped up to the pitcher for the first out.  (Stanley, VA/Page County) followed with an infield chopper and Napfel beat the throw home, pushing the Lady Royals right back in front, 2-1.

Lee clinched the win from the circle, firing her fifth 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the seventh.

Each team had only four hits in the game, but Ferrum made the one costly error.  Lee struck out four sticks while Shumaker fanned 13 Lady Royals.

Lee was 2-3 from the plate with a walk and a run scored.  Allman got an RBI with her hit.  Jenkins had EMU’s only other hit and also walked once.

Eastern Mennonite has a pair of road dates this week before Sunday’s home opener.  The Lady Royals are at Mary Baldwin on Tuesday and Mary Washington on Saturday.  Then Sunday’s doubleheader with York (PA) starts at 1:00pm.

“This is potentially the best offensive team we have ever fielded at EMU,” said ninth-year Head Coach J.D. McCurdy.  “We have six returning All-ODAC athletes and some talented freshmen.”

In 2011, Eastern Mennonite set team marks for most hits (386), runs scored (287), homeruns (39), RBIs (266) and slugging percentage (.521).

The team finished with the second-best record in EMU history at 27-13 and the best record ever in ODAC play at 14-4.  The Lady Royals took the top seed into the ODAC Tournament but were knocked out late on day two of the three-day, double elimination tourney.

To make a postseason run this year and claim just the third ODAC Championship in program history, McCurdy needs his returners to continue to improve.

High school teammates (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) were each named to all-region teams last spring as freshman.  Smith led EMU with 40 RBIs, 14 doubles and 55 hits as the outfielder earned NFCA All-Region (Atlantic) Second Team honors.  Hensley was a defensive general at shortstop and led the Lady Royals with a .441 batting average.  She was named All-Region Third Team.

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) earned All-ODAC First Team honors as the ODAC Pitcher of the Year, and was a star in the circle and at the plate.  She was 19-7 with two saves as a pitcher, charting a 2.24 ERA and breaking the EMU season records with 19 wins and 165-2/3 innings pitched.  She was also second on the team with seven homeruns and led the way with 42 runs, 18 walks and 15 stolen bases.

Other All-ODAC performers include: All-ODAC First Team designated player (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.364, 4 HR, 21 RBI), All-ODAC Second Team catcher (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) (.395, 1 HR, 14 RBI), and All-ODAC Honorable Mention second baseman (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) (.286, 8 HR, 30 RBI).

McCurdy also returns three other players: (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.300, 4 HR, 18 RBI), (Shenandoah, VA/Page County) (.304, 1 HR, 7 RBI), and (Berkeley Springs, WV/Berkeley Springs) (.500, 17 R).

The incoming class of freshmen (Madison, VA/Madison County) and (Powhatan, VA/Powhatan), while not very deep, is quite talented.

“Jordan will be an impact player as a pitcher and position player,” said McCurdy, “and Taylor provides additional offensive punch.”

With so many of the bats returning, as well as both pitchers (Lee and Smith) and newcomer Aylor, McCurdy feels his team can make some noise this year.

“A great offense and strong circle will help us stay competitive with every team we play,” he said.

The Lady Royals were tabbed to finish second in the ODAC Preseason Poll, behind ODAC Tournament Champion Virginia Wesleyan, but McCurdy is indifferent to the preseason prognosticators.

“We are never concerned where we are picked in the ODAC,” he said.  “We will put the crosshair on every team we play!”

EMU’s coach is simply excited for this season.

“The chemistry of this group is outstanding,” McCurdy explained.  “We have a good mix of very talented athletes and two very strong freshmen.  If we have a weakness it’s in depth and speed on the bases.  We will need to let our bats do the talking to overcome our weaknesses.”

If history is any indicator, the women should be able to mask their flaws.  Last year, the Lady Royals out-hit their opponents .346 to .267 and smacked nearly three times as many homeruns as they gave up (39 to 14).

Eastern Mennonite will get a big challenge as they continue their 2012 season this weekend at the Beach Blast in Virginia Beach, VA.  The women will take on two teams ranked in the NFCA national preseason poll, No. 3 Christopher Newport and No. 8 Salisbury.

McCurdy says these tough non-conference games will prepare his team for their ultimate objectives.

“Our goals are to win the ODAC Championship and win the region,” he said.  “Those are lofty goals, but our women are ready for the challenge.”