Alabama Crimson Tide
The freshman's campaign saw her named to the NCAA Division I All-American and All-SEC second teams. She broke both school and conference season records in batting average, home runs, hits (NCAA all-time Freshman Class record) and slugging percentage (which led the NCAA that year). Her RBIs, triples, runs and on base percentage ranked top-10 at Alabama; she still claims all those top season records but has been surpassed in the average.
Starting February 27 and lasting until April 4, she went on the NCAA's third best consecutive game hit streak (35). She hit .521 (62/119) on 15 home runs, 5 triples and 15 doubles to slug 1.109%. For one of her games, Kretschman reached career single game highs in RBIs (5) and hits (4), as well as hitting a school record two triples to end the game on a run-rule victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on March 1.
For the 1999 season, Kretschman repeated as All-American, moved up to First Team All-SEC and broke another school record with 30 stolen bases. Her hits and triples are top-10 for a season with the Tide.
Kretschman was named First Team All-American for the 2000 season and continued her all-conference success. She ranked top-10 in school history for virtually every season stat: average, RBIs, home runs, triples, doubles, hits, base on balls, runs, stolen bases, slugging and on base percentages. The hits total (102) led the NCAA that year and is still the school record while every other latter category is a top-10 Tide record.
The Tide made it into their first Women's College World Series and Kretschman's only career appearance at the series, she hit .333 with 3 RBIs and slugging over .550% to be named to the All-Tournament Team. The Tide were eventually eliminated by the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles despite nabbing a victory over DePaul.
For a final season, Kretschman would be named First Team All-American and All-SEC. She entered more top-10 season records for average, hits, walks and percentages to the Alabama Crimson Tide program.
Besting the Michigan Wolverines 7-2 on February 28, Kretschman connected for her 50th career home run off pitcher Meghan Ritter.
Kretschman would graduate owning career records in average, RBIs, home runs, triples, doubles, hits, walks, runs, stolen bases, slugging and on base percentages. She retains all records except for the RBIs, walks and stolen base career totals. She is tops in the SEC for runs and slugging percentage, which also is 6th best all-time in the NCAA Division I.
Read more about this topic: Kelly Kretschman
Famous quotes containing the words alabama, crimson and/or tide:
“Oh! Susanna, do not cry for me;
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.”
—Stephen Collins Foster (1826–1864)
“The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, began screaming “Off with her head! Off with—”
“Nonsense!” said Alice loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“It is said that the British Empire is very large and respectable, and that the United States are a first-rate power. We do not believe that a tide rises and falls behind every man which can float the British Empire like a chip, if he should ever harbor it in his mind.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)