CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA DIVISION III SOFTBALL RELEASE (CoSIDA)
CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA WEBSITE

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College softball player Bri Dorale (SR, Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) was named as a first-team recipient to the Capital One Academic All-America Division III Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), it was announced on Tuesday.

An outfielder and marketing major with a 3.90 grade-point average, Dorale was one of 12 NCAA Division III student-athletes named to the first team, and the lone Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player named to the first team. Just two MIAC players were named to the 36-member Capital One Academic All-America squad; St. Thomas senior infielder Kimmy Hassel was a second-team honoree.

The award is the 26th CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for Augsburg in school history and 13th since 2005. It is the 11th time an Auggie has earned earn CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team honors, and the second time an Auggie softball player has earned the CoSIDA Academic All-America award in program history. Andrea Haight was a CoSIDA Academic All-America second-team honoree in 1991.

Dorale is the second Auggie to earn Academic All-America first-team honors this school year; football offensive lineman Chad Thompson earned the honor in December.

The Capital One Academic All-America honor caps a year filled with honors for Dorale. She was also named to the All-MIAC team and to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-Midwest Region squad as a first-team utility player. Dorale was also an All-MIAC softball honoree in 2010. In April, Dorale was named Augsburg's Women's Senior Honor Athlete at the 2013 Auggie Awards, the highest student-athlete honor given by the Augsburg athletic department. She is also a multiple Academic All-MIAC honoree.

Dorale had a career year for the Auggie softball team in 2013, hitting .523 (67-of-128), setting single-season school records for both hits and batting average. She had three doubles, three triples, 12 RBI and eight walks, to go along with stealing 25 bases in 28 attempts. She had a .594 slugging percentage and .561 on-base percentage this season. Dorale had 23 multiple-hit games (13 two-hit games and 10 three-hit games), hitting safely in 34 of her 39 games.

In addition to her school records for hits and batting average, her 76 total bases and 25 stolen bases were both the fourth-most in a single season in school history, while her 35 runs scored were sixth-most, her three hit-by-pitches were tied for eighth-most and her .594 slugging percentage was 10th-best.

Dorale finished as the MIAC's batting champion, as the lone MIAC player in overall statistics to compile a greater-than-.500 total in all three statistical averages -- batting average (.523, first), on-base percentage (.561, first) and slugging percentage (.594, 12th). Her 67 hits, 25 stolen bases and three triples were all second-most among MIAC players in overall statistics, while she ranked seventh in runs scored and hit-by-pitch, and ninth in total bases.

Augsburg's starting centerfielder, Dorale moved to the infield in the last few weeks of the season, playing at both shortstop and second base. Starting 161 of Augsburg's 162 games in her four seasons, Dorale finished with school records for career hits (212) and runs scored (133), while ranking second in school history in career batting average (.398), total bases (248) and stolen bases (82); third in hit-by-pitch (9), fourth in triples (10) and ninth in slugging percentage (.465). She also had a .440 on-base percentage, 33 walks, 13 doubles, one home run and 46 RBI in her career.

Dorale was a two-sport star during her Augsburg athletic career, as she also earned All-MIAC honorable-mention honors in both 2012 and 2011 as a women's soccer defender.

The Capital One Academic All-America program is administered by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Top student-athletes, who have already earned Academic All-District first-team honors, are eligible for inclusion on the Academic All-America team. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their current institutions, have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. The Academic All-America ballot is voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members.

This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program, as CoSIDA has moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I), doubling the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America ballot, voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members.

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Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Bri Dorale, softball, 2013 (first team)
Chad Thompson, football, 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2011 (first team)
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2009 (second team)
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2008 (third team)
Nick Manders, men's soccer, 2007 (second team)
Andrew Neumann, football, 2006 (second team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2006 (first team)
Riley Conway, men's track and field/cross country, 2005 (second team)
Mark Matzek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (first team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (third team)
Darren Ginther, baseball, 2005 (first team)
Brent Peroutka, football, 2001 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (first team)
Brian Jones, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Jim Peterson, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1998 (second team)
Ted Schultz, football, 1997 (first team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1997 (second team)
Dan Lewandowski, wrestling (men's at-large), 1997 (second team)
Andrea Haight, softball, 1991 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1987 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1986 (first team)
Paul Elliot, football, 1981 (only one team selected) 

(NOTE: This story includes information taken from prior Augsburg athletic news releases on Bri Dorale and on the Academic All-America program.)