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Updated: May 25, 2016

Capital One Academic All-District 3 Selection

Pronounced muh-RICK-uh

2016: Started 48 games, appearing in 49 … Tallied 31 hits with seven home runs and six doubles … Scored 19 runs, driving in 30 to lead the team … Collected 24 putouts, assisting 62 from third base … Slugged two grand slams at NC State and versus Virginia … Opened the season with a double and two putouts at USF … Notched back-to-back multi-hit games against Pittsburgh … Had seven multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games … Slugged a home run versus No. 20 Notre Dame at the ACC Championship.

2015: Returned after missing a year and a half due to injuries … Played in and started 55 games, 53 at third base and two at catcher … Batted .274 with 46 hits, including six doubles and 17 home runs … A second-team all-state selection by VaSID … Hit her 17th home run in the NCAA Tournament to set a new school single-season record, moving past Megan Evans (2005) … Drove in 44 runs and scored 32 runs … Drew 13 walks … Named the ACC Player of the Week for her play at the East Carolina Pirate Invitational in which she hit three home runs in four games … Had 10 multiple-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games … Scored two game-winning runs and had three game-winning hits … 2015 Skelton Award Winner, the top academic award in the Virginia Tech Athletic Department … A Capital One Academic All-District 3 Selection … A member of the 2015 All-ACC Academic Softball Team and the 2014-15 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

2014: Was redshirted after tearing her labrum in the offseason … Had surgery in the fall … A member of the 2013-14 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

2013: Missed the last 35 games due to a back injury … Was having another big year before the injury … Played in and started 24 games … Batted .304 with six doubles, two triples and two home runs … Drove in 15 runs and scored six runs … Drew nine walks … Had eight multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games … A member of the 2013 All-ACC Academic Softball Team and the 2012-13 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

2012: A second-team NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region selection … Named to the 2012 ACC All-Tournament Team … A first-team all-state selection by VaSID … Started all 63 games as a freshman, 58 at third base, three at designated player and two at catcher … Led the team with nine home runs and 45 RBIs … Hit .283 on the season with eight doubles and scored 25 runs … Drew 16 walks and struck out just 14 times … Was hit seven times … Had three sacrifice flies … Had 13 multi-hit games and led the team with 13 multi-RBI games … A member of the 2012 All-ACC Academic Softball Team and the 2011-12 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

High School: Played at Kell High for Coach Lindsay Faber … The Gatorade Georgia Softball Player of the Year as a senior … A two-time first-team all-state selection who was named the Georgia Class AAAA state player of the year as a senior … As a senior, led her team with a .532 batting average, recording 11 home runs, 26 runs, 24 walks and 37 RBI … As a junior, was also a first-team all-state selection after batting .577 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI, 12 doubles and 26 walks … The .577 average is the third-highest in state history … The 2009 and 2010 Marietta Daily Journal/Cobb County Softball Player of the Year … Also named first-team all-region, earning player of the year accolades … Was second-team all-state as a sophomore … A four-time member of the all-region squad and a three-time member of the all-county team … Had 37 career home runs.

Personal: Kelsey Leigh Mericka … Born January 7, 1993 in Kennesaw, GA … Dughter of Jacqueline Mericka-Brand and the late Michael Mericka … Has an older sister, Jaime, and two younger sisters, Kendall and Chloe … Majoring in industrial and systems engineering.