June 02, 1995|By Roch Eric Kubatko
* Kerri Smith, Old Mill, Sr., OF -- Another Patriot who enjoyed a breakthrough season, Smith batted .370 with one double, one triple, 11 RBIs and 17 runs scored. She was an exceptional bunter who was versatile enough to catch, and also served as the designated hitter on occasion. "She came out of nowhere this year," said coach Lori Darnall. Smith will attend Salisbury State.
* Melissa Snyder, Severna Park, Sr., OF -- One of the best center fielders in the metro area, Snyder concluded an outstanding high school career by batting .400 (22-for-55) with four doubles and three home runs. She knocked in 13 runs, walked 13 times and stole six bases. Snyder, who is heading to Towson State, registered a .946 fielding percentage and threw out three runners at home.
* Nicki Trumpler, Spalding, Sr., INF -- Trumpler batted .448 (30-for-67) with two doubles, two triples, one home run and 28 RBIs. Batting third in a powerful lineup, she was a "contact hitter who kept the ball low and hard," said coach Linda Taylor. Trumpler made no errors at first base. She will attend Mount St. Mary's.
* Denise Warren, Glen Burnie, Sr., INF -- Last year's county Player of the Year, Warren had another superb season. Sharing the pitching with Miller, she went 6-3 (including a no-hitter) with a 0.91 ERA, 28 walks and 63 strikeouts. Going into the region final, she was batting .466 (34-for-73) with three doubles, two triples, five home runs and a team-leading 21 RBIs from leadoff. She also stole nine bases and had a .589 on-base percentage and .769 slugging percentage. A shortstop who's heading to UMBC, Warren had a .918 fielding percentage.
* Ruth Wilson, Arundel, Jr., OF -- Wilson ranked among the Wildcats' leading hitters with a .330 average, but she was an asset in many other ways. A leadoff hitter, her speed produced 14 steals, and she didn't commit an error in center field. "She covered a lot of ground out there for us and was great at stealing bases," said coach Paul Yannuzzi.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SAMANTHA MILLER
Glen Burnie, senior, pitcher -- For three years, someone at Glen Burnie always overshadowed Miller, in spite of her impressive statistics as a pitcher and shortstop. But no one could push her aside this spring.
Miller went 10-1 (including a no-hitter) with a 0.61 ERA, her only loss against eventual 4A state champion Northern of Calvert County in the region final. She struck out 68 batters in 74 innings, walked 12 (one intentional) and allowed just one home run, in her last game. She gave up five extra-base hits, including two against Northern.
But that was only half the story. She batted .435 with two doubles, one triple, three home runs and 19 RBIs. She didn't strike out during the regular season and had an on-base percentage of .576 and a slugging percentage of .674. Her .934 fielding percentage included nine games at shortstop.
"You couldn't ask more of a kid. She's done everything," said coach Bob Broccolino. He described her as someone who "refuses to give in, refuses to lose" when she was pitching. And until the region final, when the Gophers made five errors, she hadn't lost. That winning streak included defeating Severna Park twice in less than a week on the Falcons' home field.
Miller's next stop will be the University of Maryland. The Baltimore Sun 1995 All-Anne Arundel County Softball Teams were selected by Roch Eric Kubatko after consultation with staff writers and area coaches.
