Softball Seniors Honored at Eagle Field
5/2/2010 5:15:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. -- The Georgia Southern Softball Program and Georgia Southern Athletics honored the 2010 Senior Class prior to today's home finale at Eagle Field.
Senior outfielder Kelly Burnett, number 7, was accompanied by her parents, Warren and Donna Burnett. The Boynton Beach, Fla., native is hitting .232 in 65 games over the past two seasons with 57 starts in the outfield for the Eagles. She is currently fourth on the all-time list at Georgia Southern with a .985 fielding percentage. In 2009, she was named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete, and will graduate in May with a degree in Elementary Education.
Senior Shortstop Nina Iduate, number 10, was accompanied by her parents, Jorge and Yvonne Iduate. The Norcross, Ga., native is on pace to break the school record for highest batting average, hitting .370. She has 230 hits over the past four seasons, which is third at Georgia Southern. In 2008, Nina set the school record with 24 sacrifice bunts, and on April 11, 2010 against Chattanooga, she started the first triple-play recorded in Eagle Softball history. She has scored 120 runs in her career, and driven in 50. On the base path, she has stolen 44 bases in 56 attempts. She is a two-time All-Southern Conference First Team selection, and has been a Team Leader for the past two seasons. As a sophomore, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, and earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors as a junior. She will graduate in May with a degree in Mathematics, and will attend graduate school at Kennesaw State University.
Senior first baseman Sam Russo, number 18, was accompanied by her parents, Chris and Denise Russo, and her brother Alphonse. The Snellville, Ga., native is hitting .260 over the past four seasons, tallying 17 home runs, which is tied for fifth all-time at Georgia Southern, and 91 RBIs in her career. Sam will finish her career in the top-ten at Georgia Southern in games played, appearing in 217 games over the past four years. On April 11, 2010 against Chattanooga, she recorded the second out of the first triple-play recorded in Eagle Softball history. In 2009, she was named Second Team All-Southern Conference, and earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors. Sam will graduate in May with a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Senior catcher and infielder Jenny Side, number 20, was accompanied by her parents, Joe and Linda Side. The Loganville, Ga., native is hitting .281 over the past four years, and is second on the all-time list at Georgia Southern with 30 home runs. Her 123 RBIs is also second in program history. As a sophomore, Jenny hit 14 home runs, which is still tied for first in a single-season. She has 42 doubles in her career, ranking fourth in program history. She has played in over 200 games during her career as an Eagle, and earned Second Team All-Southern Conference honors as a catcher in 2008. She served as a team leader this season, and will graduate in May with a degree in Biology.
This group of four Eagles led Georgia Southern to 121 wins over the last four years, including a 45-37 mark in the Southern Conference. The Eagles also advanced to the Championship game of the SoCon Tournament in the past three seasons.
