The University of Maine softball team has received National Letters of Intent from a pitcher from New Mexico and a shortstop from New Hampshire.

Cayleigh Montano of Las Cruces, N.M., and Kristen Calvetti of Milford, N.H., will begin classes at Maine this fall.

Montano pitched for Mayfield High in Las Cruces and was All-District at the AAAAA level from 2003 to 2005. She struck out 130 batters in 147 1/3 innings with 40 walks and a .137 in her senior year. Montano also pitched for club team Alberquerque Sol Gold.

Calvetti, a shortstop at Milford High, batted .515 and was named all-state first-team last year. She also plays for the New Hampshire Black Widows.

Montano and Calvetti join eight other players who signed NLIs last fall.

Eligibility of all student-athletes is contingent upon admission to the University of Maine and compliance with all NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse.

10 UMaine athletes honored

The University of Maine has placed 10 student-athletes on the America East All-Academic teams for the spring season.

The softball squad has four senior representatives in pitcher Sarah Bennis of Pownal, shortstop Brittany Cheney, first baseman Amy Kuhl and outfielder Erin Provost. Junior designated hitter Matt McGraw and senior outfielder Ryan Quintal represent the Bears’ baseball program.

Other honorees were junior distance runner Kirby Davis of Falmouth, junior middle distance runner Hana Pelletier of Belgrade and junior hammer thrower Clarissa Michalak of Cumberland.

The University at Albany led the conference with 16 spring all-academic selections. To be considered, athletes must have a minimum grade point average of 3.00 entering the season. Athletic standards vary among the sports.

BU wins Commissioner’s Cup

Boston University has won its sixth America East Commissioner’s Cup, which recognizes the highest scoring athletic program in the conference as determined by a points system that rewards schools for athletic success.

The Terriers claimed the Stuart P. Haskell Jr. Commissioner’s Cup for the fourth time in five years on the strength of seven league titles, three runner-up finishes and one third-place showing.

BU earned 365 points to edge second-place Binghamton (328) and third-place Albany (325). UMaine (269) wound up sixth behind Maryland Baltimore County (311) and Stony Brook (296). New Hampshire (247), Vermont (176) and Hartford (159) round out the field.

Boston University claimed seven championships, all in women’s sports, winning cross country, soccer, field hockey, indoor track and field, tennis, golf and lacrosse. The Terriers were runners-up in women’s basketball, softball and outdoor track.

UMaine won the baseball championship and earned regular-season titles in field hockey and softball. The Bears were runners-up in field hockey and women’s soccer.

Flaherty shines at Vandy

Ryan Flaherty of Portland and Deering High School, a freshman shortstop for the Vanderbilt University baseball team, capped off a stellar first season with the Commodores by being named to the NCAA Division I Atlanta Regional all-tournament team.

Flaherty batted .348 in the regional with three doubles, seven RBIs and three runs scored as the second-seeded Commodores finished second in the tournament to host and top seed Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech defeated Vanderbilt 8-4 in the championship round Sunday night to advance to super regional play.

The son of University of Southern Maine baseball coach Ed Flaherty and the 2005 Dr. John Winkin Award winner as Maine’s Mr. Baseball, Flaherty finished the season with a team-leading .339 batting average with two home runs, 19 doubles and 49 RBIs. He also had a .421 on-base percentage and a .458 slugging percentage.

Flaherty was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the week May 23, as he went 8-for-16 with a double, four runs and four RBIs in four games. He was 6-for-10 with four RBI and three runs scored in two wins against South Carolina.

He went on to lead the Commodores in batting during the regular season at .357, good for seventh overall in the SEC.

Vanderbilt finished 16-14 in conference play to place third in the SEC Eastern Division. The Commodores then advanced to the championship game of the SEC postseason tournament before bowing to Mississippi 9-3.

Vanderbilt finished its season with a 38-27 record, and was one of eight SEC teams selected for NCAA tournament play.