BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College softball coach Phil McElroy, the 2009 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, has recently been named to the NCAA Division III Softball Committee.  McElroy has been a member of the Division III Northeast Regional Committee since 2008.

In his new capacity, McElroy will serve as chair of the Northeast Region ranking call each week from late March through the selection of teams for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in May.  He will also participate in the national ranking call each Thursday throughout the season, and the selection of the 62 teams that make up the National Championship Tournament field.

“There are 6-8 representatives on the regional call,” McElroy says.  “From what we decide on the regional call, I’ll then push for the Northeast teams on the national call.”

Additionally McElroy is expected to be a regional site representative at the Northeast Regional Championship, and will attend the Division III College Softball World Series in an administrative capacity.

McElroy is one of only eight persons nationally on the Committee.  His term will run through 2014.

“This is a great honor for both Phil and Emerson,” Emerson College Director of Athletics Kristin Parnell says.  “It shows the level of respect that people nationwide have for Phil and also indicates that people recognize the Emerson College softball program as worthy of national recognition.”

McElroy has been at Emerson since 2002.  He has a career record of 273-151.  His teams have twice captured the Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship and qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship tournament.  Additionally both years his teams qualified for the national tournament, the Lions were the national Division III Academic champions as named by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

*Courtesy Emerson College Athletic Communications