7:56 a.m., June 11, 2007--Three softball recruits have been announced by University of Delaware Head Coach B.J. Ferguson. They are Michelle Grap of Ellicott City, Md., Lindsay Novak of Toronto, Ontario, and Anne Marie Pagano of Marathon, N.Y.

Grap, a third baseman, outfielder and utility player at Centennial High School, was a first team all-metro and first team All-Howard County selection. A team captain, she broke the school record for home runs.

Grap hit .290 last summer with the 18 and under Wagner's team, leading the squad in home runs, triples, doubles and walks.

“Michelle is an extremely versatile player who will challenge the outfield and infield alike for a starting role,” Ferguson said. “She is a well-rounded player defensively who possesses a solid glove. Offensively, Michelle is a solid contact hitter, but she has the ability to hit the long ball. Her speed and quickness will play a major role in her offensive success.”

Novak, a second baseman and shortstop was team captain and most valuable player at Michael Power/St. Joseph High School, which won several city championships. She batted .304 and was the team leader in doubles and runs scored while playing for the Chinguacousy Cougars last summer, and was a member of the 16 and under Canadian national champions in 2004 and 2005.

Novak also earned numerous awards as an ice hockey goalie, and was the leading scorer for her school field hockey team in 2005.

“Lindsay comes to UD with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm,” Ferguson said. “She is a middle infielder with excellent speed, agility and footwork. Lindsay is extremely intuitive with quick reactions, which must come from her years as an ice hockey goalie. Her ability to hit and slap from the left side of the plate along with her quickness should definitely challenge opponents to keep her off base.”

Pagano, a pitcher and first baseman, was an all-conference and fourth team all-state selection in 2006 at Whitney Point High School. Pagano hit .319 and, as a pitcher, had 172 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched and a 1.57 earned run average. She had a 1.80 ERA last summer while playing for the Conklin Raiders, who went 28-6 and won four tournaments. She also was a two-time all-league selection in field hockey and earned all-conference honors twice in basketball.

“Anne Marie will add much needed depth to our pitching staff in the spring,” Ferguson said. “Through hard work during the off-season, we anticipate Anne Marie securing one of the team's starting positions. Her stature on the mound will certainly speak for itself, while her core of pitches and movement on the ball will enable her to keep opponents off balance.”