Laura Matthews Class: Senior Hometown: Nashville, TN High School: Franklin Road Height: 5-9 Position: C Birthdate: 03/02/1986 Bats/Throws: R/R

2008
2008 Earned a second-team selection on the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Softball Team...the senior catcher became the 76th Academic All-American overall and 29th in the last seven years at UD...selected to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Softball team...recorded career bests in hits (44), runs (37), doubles (8), triples (2), RBI's (16), runners caught stealing (16)...started all 51 games behind the plate for Dayton...named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for March 3, 2008...led the team in on-base percentage at .462, hit-by-pitches at 10 and walks with 24...ranked second on the squad in triples and tied for third in triples...smacked her fourth career home run in game against Ohio on April 23...Racked up a .625 average at the Eastern Kentucky University Invitational after going 5-of-8 with two doubles and driving in three runs...earned a spot on the 2008 Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll...named the White Allen Most Valuable Player.

2007
Named to the 2007 Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll...Led the Flyers with five baserunners thrown out from the catcher position...Posted career-highs with 32 games played and 27 starts...Hit .181 with two RBI and two doubles...Stole one base...Hit 1-for-3 and drove in a run against Mississippi Valley State...Tied for fourth in walks with eight...Drove in two runs against St. Bonaventure...Batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and a walk against IPFW...Scored a run against La Salle...Hit 2-of-5 against Fordham.

2006
Appeared in 21 games, starting 18...In 69 at bats, had four runs and 15 hits including two doubles and one homerun...Also compiled 11 RBI and eight walks...Tenth on the team with a .217 batting average and fourth on the team with an on base percentage of .349...In 20 total bases, posted a .290 slugging percentage...This sophomore was two-for-five with a pair of runs batted in against the George Washington Colonials in an A-10 conference double-header...She also hit a two-run homerun to lead UD to a win against IPFW on April 23.

2005
Started in 31 of 36 games for UD...Had 21 hits, two doubles, two homeruns and 11 RBI...Posted a .354 Slugging percentage with a .402 on base percentage while walking 14 times...Had two multi-hit games ...Her longest hitting streak of the season was four games...Also had three multi-RBI games...Tallied her first career hit, a double against Youngstown State...Matthews first homerun came against UMass as she also smacked a solo homer in the win against Toledo.

High School
An All-State and four-time All-District player...Also named to the Middle Tennessee Softball Coaches Association All-Mid State and All-Academic teams...A three-time Most Outstanding Academic Female at Franklin Road Academy...Named Founders Award winner her senior year.

Personal
A sports management major, Matthews is the daughter of Carleen and Ben Matthews...She has one older sister, Jenny and two younger sisters, Madeline and Christine...She was born March 2, 1986.

Career Statistics