Eastern Connecticut State University

Mariann Shumbo was as comfortable coaxing one of her NCAA Division III-record 106 walks as she was pounding out one of her softball program-record extra-base hits. A member of two NCAA Division III national championship and four regional title teams, Shumbo devastated pitchers as the program’s fiercest left-handed hitter to date. Twice she led the team in batting average, total bases, triples and home runs and three times in walks and on-base percentage. In each of her three starting seasons, the Moodus native batted leadoff and played first base. As a first-team NCAA Division III All-America senior, she started all 42 games, batted a career-high .431 and set season records for runs (56), home runs (5), slugging average (.693) and on-base percentage (55.7) That year, she reached base in every game via a hit or walk, had 18 multiple-hit games and fashioned a record 17-game hitting streak. Her total of 59 hits and 95 total bases that year still rated second all-time in a season through 2004. As a sophomore, she established an NCAA season record of 43 walks; as a junior, she was named MVP of the Northeast Regional tournament after reaching safely in all six plate appearances with three hits and three walks and was named to the all-tournament team at the national tournament with a .429 batting average. In each of her final three seasons, she was named to both the all-region and All-New England teams. Through 2004, she still ranked among the top 12 in ten career categories and held or shared four career, six season and two game records.