June 6, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Senior utility player Tara Hansen earned a spot on the Academic All-America second team, her first berth to the prestigious squad. She becomes the first Fairfield softball player to earn Academic All-America since Jen Derouin accomplished the task in 1998. The Academic All-America team is sponsored by ESPN The Magazine.
She earned her award as a utility player, spending time both as a pitcher and as an outfielder during the year. She appeared in 58 of 60 games this season, which included 23 as a pitcher and 35 as a fielder.
As an outfielder, she posted a .309 batting average with eight home runs and 38 RBI. Her homer and RBI total ranked second among her teammates, both of which represented career highs. She was also the team's top base stealer, registering 15 bases in 17 attempts.
On the mound, Hansen posted a 7-12 overall record with a 3.54 ERA in 118.2 innings pitched. She secured 74 strikeouts, which placed second on the team.
The Arizona native finished her career with 202 hits, only the second Stag to reach 200 hits in a career. She became the program's all-time leader with 40 doubles, and placed second all-time with 13 home runs.
The Academic All-America selection is one of several honors that the Hansen received this year. She was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic team for the third time. She picked up another All-MAAC award for her effort in 2006, as well as a spot on the MAAC All-Tournament team. The University's coaches selected her as the female scholar-athlete of the year for the second straight season.
