COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland softball players Kerry Hickey and Niki Lau have been named to the ESPN The Magazine 2009 Academic All-District Softball Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) recently announced.

Hickey and Lau, both sophomores, garnered Academic All-District second team honors in district two by virtue of their performance in the classroom and on the softball diamond during the 2009 season. The duo excelled academically and helped lead Maryland to a record of 29-26, including nine Atlantic Coast Conference wins - the team's most conference victories in 10 years.

An All-ACC second team nominee, Hickey has accumulated a GPA of 3.34 and is pursuing a degree in criminology & criminal justice. On the field the pitcher/designated player developed into one of the best two-way players in the ACC this season. Hickey was one of three players in the conference to rank both in the top-10 in pitching and top-25 in batting in 2009.

Serving as Maryland's ace pitcher, Hickey led the ACC with 19 relief appearances and 18 games finished pitching and tied for the conference lead with four saves. The Huntingtown, Md., native compiled a record of 12-10 with an ERA of 2.48 and 174 strikeouts in 164.0 innings in the circle this season. Hickey's single-season strikeout total ranks seventh all-time in team history, and her 39 pitching appearances are good for fifth on Maryland's single-season list.

At the plate Hickey, a team co-captain, provided a strong bat in the middle of Maryland's lineup this season. She batted .279 with a team-high 48 hits, seven doubles and 61 total bases. Hickey also enjoyed a team-best eight-game hit streak through the first eight games of the season.

Lau, a redshirt sophomore outfielder, boasts a GPA of 3.95 - the highest on the team. The Centennial, Colo., native is seeking a degree in kinesiological science.

Returning to the diamond last season after missing all of 2006 due to shoulder surgery, Lau continued her progression as an all-around player during the 2009 campaign. She was the only Maryland player to see action in all 55 games this season. Lau batted .276 with a team-best 12 multi-hit games and 19 runs. She ranked second on the team in walks (16) and on-base percentage (.353).

Lau also developed into a reliable, versatile defensive player this season in the Terps' outfield. Playing all three outfield positions and starting more than 20 games at both center field and left, Lau committed just one error during 2009 while recording 36 putouts for a fielding percentage of .974.

Hickey and Lau will enter their respective junior seasons in 2010 with a combined 216 career games played under their belts.