UofL College of Business marketing major Melissa Roth wrapped up a stellar season on the diamond by being named Big East Player of the Year, earning Big East Player of the Week honors two weeks in a row (four overall) and being featured in the Louisville Courier-Journal sports pages.

     Roth, a junior who catches, batted .545 and scored six runs as the women’s softball Cards produced a 3-1 record during the final week of the regular season.  She went 6-11 at the plate with a double, triple and two home runs. She also drew a walk and was hit by pitcher three times boosting her on-base percentage to .667.  Her exceptional hitting the previous week included a walk-off home run in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of Georgetown.
     Led by Roth’s offense, the #18/19-ranked Cards finished with a 48-11 season, the best in the program’s history. For the sixth consecutive year, the Cards advanced to Big East tourney regional play.
     Roth is the first Louisville player in program history to be named the Player of the Year (more from UofL sports). She led the Cardinals in virtually every offensive category this season including team-high numbers in batting average (.436), home runs (16), RBI (49), runs scored (62), slugging percentage (.878) and on-base percentage (.564). Roth's 1.174 slugging percentage in league play was the conference's best. She is a two-time All-Big East Conference selection.
     Earlier in May she was selected to participate in the 2009 USA Softball National Team Selection Camp, the first Louisville player to receive the invitation in the 10-year history of the program (more on UofL Sports page).
     "I'm so excited to have this opportunity," said Roth. "It blows my mind that it's even possible. I didn't believe it at first - I had to make sure it was real. I'm a little nervous, but this is a great opportunity to be able to compete with, and learn from some of the best players in the nation."
     The selection camp will take place June 8-12 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. The 2009 National Team will be selected from participants at this camp. Over the summer, USA Softball will compete in the Canada Cup (July 3-12 - Surrey, B.C., Canada), World Cup IV (July 13-20 - Oklahoma City, Okla.), Japan Cup (July 28-Aug. 3 - Sendai City, Japan) and the Pan Am Games Qualifier (July 29-August 10 - Maracay, Venezuela).