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Saint Louis Billikens Athletics

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2021 Softball Roster

2 Maria Connell

  • Position Infield
  • Hometown Plainfield, Ill.
  • Class Senior
  • Previous School Plainfield Central
  • B/T R/R
  • Major B.A., Secondary Education - Social Studies

Biography

Concluded her senior season ranked fifth in assists (382) on the Billikens' career list.

2021 • SENIOR
• Earned NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades.
• Named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
• Started all 34 games in which she played, all at shortstop.
• Tied for sixth in the A-10 and led the team with four sacrifice bunts.
• Second on the team in assists (72).
• Third on the team in batting average with two outs (9-for-30, .300).
• Tied for third on the team in two-out RBI (six).
• Fifth on the team in batting average (.255).
• Tied for fifth on the team in RBI (11).
• Had a team season-high seven assists vs. Northern Kentucky March 7.
• Tied the school record of seven at-bats at George Mason April 9.
• Enjoyed a seven-game hitting streak during which she hit .444 (8-for-18), including a 5-for-11 series vs. George Washington.
• Had three multi-hit games, including a three-hit outing vs. Creighton in which she also recorded a season-high three RBI.
• Hit .353 (12-for-34) over the final 13 games.
• Homered vs. DePaul.

2020 • JUNIOR
• Named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
• Started all 21 games.
• Team-high 49 assists -- second in the A-10.
• 88 chances -- second on the team, 10th in the A-10.
• Led the team in batting average with two outs (.387) and two-out RBI (four); tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games (three).
• Was the Billikens' toughest to strike out, fanning just once every 21.7 plate appearances.
• Second on the team in slugging percentage (.435), total bases (27) and RBI (nine).
• Tied for second on the team in home runs (two) and doubles (three).
• Third on the team in hits (18) and multi-hit games (five).
• Tied SLU's season high of three hits vs. Niagara and Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Tied the team's season high of six total bases vs. Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Matched her career high of five putouts vs. UTSA.
• Tallied three RBI vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, and two RBI vs. Miami (Ohio) and UTSA.
• Went 7-for-15 over the last four games to raise her batting average 56 points.
• Turned in two-hit efforts vs. UTSA, Chattanooga and Miami (Ohio).

2019 • SOPHOMORE
• Earned NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades.
• Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
• Played in 50 games and started 49.
• Led the A-10 with 136 assists – fourth all-time at SLU.
• Tied for the A-10 lead with nine sacrifice bunts – 64th nationally.
• 230 chances – second on the team, 13th in the A-10.
• A-10 rankings in conference games only – tied for second in assists (57); 17th in chances (96).
• Posted a school-record 10 assists vs. Kansas City; tied the school record of two sacrifice bunts vs. Dayton.
• Additional SLU single-game highs – three runs vs. La Salle; five RBI vs. La Salle; four hits vs. La Salle and Murray State; eight total bases vs. La Salle.
• The four-hit efforts vs. La Salle and Murray State were among 10 multi-hit games she recorded.
• Batted .400 (8-for-20) during a season-best six-game hitting streak, part of a season-ending stretch in which she hit safely in 12 of 14 games (15-for-43, .349).
• Was 3-for-8 with an RBI and four sacrifice bunts in the A-10 Championship.
• Had two hits and an RBI in a win over Massachusetts.
• Struck out just once every 13.1 plate appearances.
 
2018 • FRESHMAN
• A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
• Started all 57 games.
• A-10 rankings (all games) – first in assists (125, SLU freshman record); tied for third in sacrifice flies (team-high-tying three); 14th in chances (224).
• A-10 rankings (conference games) – tied for third in sacrifice flies (two); tied for 11th in assists (35); tied for 18th in doubles (four).
• SLU all-time single-season lists – ninth in assists.
• No. 3 on the team – chances, putouts (78).
• Batted .244 in conference play.
• Tied the team season high of six assists vs. Arkansas.
• Season highs – three hits vs. George Mason; two RBIs vs. St. Bonaventure; five putouts vs. South Dakota.
• Hit .333 (7-for-21) over the final nine games of the season.
• Four of her six doubles came vs. A-10 opponents.
• Produced an eighth-inning RBI single in SLU’s A-10 Championship first-round win over George Mason.
• Singled and sacrificed vs. Dayton in the conference tournament.
• Was 3-for-3 including an RBI double in a victory over George Mason.
• Collected three RBIs in the St. Bonaventure doubleheader.
• Had two hits in a win over George Washington.
• Singled vs. Mississippi.
 
PRIOR TO SLU
Earned All-Area and All-Conference honors and served as team captain at Plainfield Central … posted a .349 career batting average and finished among the program's all-time leaders in RBIs (second, 100), doubles (second, 39) and hits (third, 156) … plays travel softball with the LIDS Indy Dreams … participated in Plainfield Central's Athletic Leadership Program and was an honor roll student.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 2

    2018Freshman

    Infield
    2
  • 2

    2019Sophomore

    Infield
    2
  • 2

    2020Junior

    Infield
    2
  • 2

    2021Senior

    Infield
    2