Ama Biney of Worcester, Mass., Named to NFCA Division III National Player of the Year Watch List

2016 Apr 5

WPI sophomore Ama Biney is among fifty outstanding softball players have been chosen for the inaugural NFCA/Schutt Sports Division III National Player of the Year watch list, which will be pared down in the coming weeks until just one player remains at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

Twenty-six returning NFCA All-Americans top the list, including four first-team honorees, nine second-team selections and 13 from last year's third team. The remaining 24 members of the group all earned first team NFCA All-Region recognition last season.

WPI is one of just 10 programs nationwide with multiple players on the list. Texas-Tyler, last year's national runner-up, boasts five players on the initial list while Heidelberg has three. Eight schools - Averett, East Texas Baptist, Luther, Rowan, Salisbury, three-time reigning NCAA titlist Tufts, NEWMAC rival Wheaton and WPI have two players each.

In 2015 Nina Murphy-Cook became the first WPI softball student-athlete to garner NFCA All-America status as she was named to the Division III third team as a utility player.

It was one of five postseason awards for Murphy-Cook who was also named the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Williamstown Regional Most Outstanding Player, a NFCA New England first teamer and the NFCA Golden Shoe award is presented annually to the player determined to be the most outstanding base stealer in Division III.

Murphy-Cook paced Division III with 57 stolen bases on 59 attempts and was second in the category with 1.27 swipes per game. Historically, the left fielder set the single-season NEWMAC record with her 56th stolen base against Tufts in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Super Regional opener. She went on to finish her inaugural campaign tied for fourth all-time in Division III for steals in a single season.

Overall, the rookie paced the NEWMAC in plate appearances (170), hits (77), runs (60), and was second in batting average (.487) and on-base percentage (.512) to go along with 82 total bases (5th) while ranking sixth nationally in runs per game (1.33).

Ama Biney was no stranger to the awards circuit either, taking home first team All-NEWMAC and NFCA All-New England honors as well as second team All-ECAC New England accolades.

Biney, who finished tied for fourth in the nation in triples with nine, led the NEWMAC in the category which has helped her accumulate an eye-popping 107 total bases. The centerfielder appeared in the NEWMAC top 10 in RBI (2nd - 45), stolen bases (3rd - 23), runs scored (3rd - 49), on-base percentage (4th - .488), slugging percentage (5th - .733), batting average (6th - .445) and home runs (6th - five).

This winter has also seen Biney see success on the hardwood. The sophomore picked up a first team All-NEWMAC nod and scored 16 points and added eight rebounds to help the Engineers knock off top-seeded Babson Sunday in the conference championship and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.

There are 24 seniors, 17 juniors and nine sophomores in the group. The list is a collaborative effort between the NFCA's Division III Head Coaches and All-America committees. The list will subsequently be cut to 25, 10 and then the three finalists that will vie for the award. The list will be adjusted to assure the best players during the season are considered, with the eventual winner coming from the group of 25.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 45 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.