COMPLETE RELEASE: 2009 All-Independent Softball honors

VERMILLION, S.D. -- Melisa Ryba began her Northern Colorado softball career this season with a home run in just her third collegiate at-bat.

She now ends her first season with the Bears as an All-Independent Co-Freshman of the Year selection as well as a second-team outfield pick, as released Tuesday by the University of South Dakota's sports-information office.

Ryba, who played in all 50 and started in 49 of Northern Colorado's games this season, shared the honor with Seattle pitcher Hannah Klein.

"Melisa is more than deserving of this honor," Northern Colorado coach Jen Schunke said. "We expected big things from her the moment she signed with us, and this just further justifies that. We think she is going to end up leaving an incredible mark in our program's history. This is just the beginning for Melisa."

Ryba, from Littleton, led the Bears this season in batting average (.355), runs scored (34), hits (55), RBIs (28), doubles (10), triples (four) and total bases (82). She had 15 multi-hit games this season, including five contests where she finished with three or more hits. In the field, she committed just two fielding errors in 93 chances.

Ryba was also named to the 2009 All-Independent Division I Tournament team after hitting .368 (7-19) with two triples in the Bears' five games. Klein, from Camarillo, Calif., was honored as the MVP of the D-I Tournament and finished the year with a .372 batting average for the Redhawks while also going 9-9 in the circle with a 3.88 earned-run average.

"Melisa was truly a team player this year," Schunke said, "and she made everyone around her better. We just had our best season ever this year, and while everyone played a part in making that happen, Melisa was, obviously, one of the keys to our surge."

South Dakota's Tagney Jones was announced Tuesday as the All-Independent Player of the year, while Kaitlin Colosimo (Southern Illinois-Edwardsville) was the Pitcher of the Year and Sandy Montgomery (SIU-Edwardsville) was tabbed as Coach of the Year.