PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island College senior Christie Lotti (Waterford, Conn.) received Rhode Island College’s Helen M. Murphy award at the College’s annual Cap and Gown ceremony on Wednesday, April 30. The award is based not only on athletic prowess, but also values community and campus involvement and honors an outstanding Rhode Island College senior woman athlete.

Lotti is arguably the greatest position player in Rhode Island College softball history. She holds 13 career program records, which include career batting average, at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks, stolen bases, total bases, slugging percentage and putouts, as well as eight RIC single-season marks. She has helped the Anchorwomen capture the Little East Conference Regular Season Championship four times (2005-08), the LEC Tournament twice (2006, ’07), the NCAA N.E. Region once (2007) and the ECAC N.E. Tournament once (2005).

As a senior in 2008, Lotti has helped the Anchorwomen post a 29-7 overall record and tie the program record for Little East wins (12-2). RIC is currently the second seed in the upcoming 2008 Little East Conference Softball Tournament. She has played in 36 games, starting all of them, batting .455 (56-for-123) with 50 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, 27 RBI and 19 stolen bases. Lotti owns a .626 slugging percentage, a .535 on-base percentage and a .988 fielding percentage.

As a junior in 2007, she was named Second Team All-New England, received the Little East Conference Player of the Year Award for the second straight season and garnered her third consecutive First Team All-Little East selection. Lotti was also named to the NCAA Div. III New England Regional All-Tournament Team at first base. She played in 48 games, starting 47 of them. Lotti batted .424 with 50 runs scored, 67 hits, 13 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs, 25 RBI and 13 stolen bases. She owned a .703 slugging percentage, a .477 on-base percentage and a .970 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2006, Lotti was named a First Team NEISCA All-Star. She was named the Little East Conference Softball Player of the Year, as well as earning First Team All-LEC honors. Lotti was also named First Team All-New England. She played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .389 (58-for-149) with 39 runs, 58 hits, seven doubles, 11 triples, four home runs, 26 RBI and eight stolen bases. She owned a .664 slugging percentage, a .429 on-base percentage and a .978 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2005, she was named the 2005 Little East Conference Softball Rookie of the Year. Lotti was also named First Team All-Little East and was a First Team All-New England selection. She played in 42 games, starting 41 of them. She batted a team-high .441 with a team-high 60 hits, 37 runs scored, 16 walks, six triples, five home runs and 17 stolen bases along with 13 doubles and 22 RBI. Lotti owned a .735 slugging percentage, a .500 on base percentage and a .975 fielding percentage.

She is also an outstanding student, holding a 3.33 cumulative grade point average as a psychology major. Speaker William J. Murphy and the R.I. House of Representatives as a Scholar-Athlete honored Lotti as a Scholar-Athlete three times (2006-08).

ABOUT THE HELEN M. MURPHY AWARD

The Murphy Award was established in 1979 and sponsored by the faculty of the Henry Barnard School to honor an outstanding Rhode Island College senior woman athlete. The award is named for Helen M. Murphy, a graduate of Rhode Island College in 1939, who was a member of the faculty for 38 years and taught at the Henry Barnard School, beginning in 1941, until her retirement in 1979.

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