Manchester Resident Drake, Donovan Softball Pitcher, Signs With Quinnipiac

(PHOTO: Rebecca Drake, center, signs NCAA letter of intent to play at Quinnipiac University, surrounded by her family: Dad, Tim Drake, Mom, Sandy Drake, brother Matt and grandmother, Connie Drake. Credit Donovan Catholic)

Donovan Catholic senior Rebecca Drake of Whiting has signed a national letter of intent to play softball for the Bobcats of Quinnipiac University, officials at Donovan Catholic announced.

Drake is the first student-athlete to sign a NCAA letter of intent since the Toms River school changed its name this year.

Drake, a pitcher and third baseman for the Griffins, earned several honors last spring as a junior, including being named to the Asbury Park Press First-Team All-Shore as a utility player, the coaches’ Class B South team, and to the Star-Ledger’s First-Team Ocean County and Second-Team All Non Public teams.

Drake batted .821 with six home runs for the Griffins, who went 19-5 and shared the Shore Conference Class B South title with Pinelands. She allowed three runs over 35 innings pitched, with nine walks and 32 strikeouts. Donovan reached the semifinals of both the Ocean County Tournament and Shore Conference Tournament, and the quarterfinals of the South Jersey Non-Public A tournament, according to statistics posted on NJ.com.

Drake, who also plays soccer and ice hockey at Donovan, plays travel softball for the NJ Intensity in Farmingdale, and last summer was named 1st Team All-American and 1st Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.