OSHAWA, Ont. - Durham College women’s fastball players Erica and Erin Dewey will be appearing in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated.

The twin sisters are one of Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in the November 11, 2010 issue, featuring the San Francisco Giants – the 2010 World Series champions on the cover. The magazine is set to hit newsstands across Canada and the United States this week.

The article in the magazine reads:

“Shortstop Erin and centerfielder Erica, juniors at Durham College, helped the Lords go undefeated to win a record 15th Ontario Colleges Athletic Association title. Erin was the OCAA player of the year for the third time; Erica holds the OCAA record for runs in a season (22).”

The Dewey sisters become Durham’s second and third athletes to appear in Sports Illustrated after Erin Smith, a two sport student-athlete (fastball/volleyball), did in October 2004.

“We are extremely proud of Erin and Erica for all of their accomplishments as members of our DC varsity fastball program and now they have been duly recognized in the pinnacle of sporting publications - Sport Illustrated,” said Ken Babcock, Durham College athletic director. “What an amazing honour. It is something they will have to cherish for a lifetime and should be extremely proud of as well. My hats off to them and also to SI for recognizing that the Dewey's deserved to be profiled in their magazine.”

Both enrolled in the Sport Management program at Durham College, the sisters grew up with a keen interest in Sports Illustrated. Always humble about their accomplishments, it came as quite of a surprise when they learned that they would be in the international publication.

“I am still shocked that we are in SI,” said Erin. “I always grew up reading the magazine and to actually be in it is a pretty cool feeling.”

“It’s a great honour to be recognized in a magazine like Sports Illustrated,” said Erica. “Having my sister to share it with makes it that much better.”

‘Faces in the Crowd’ debuted in the Jan. 9, 1956 issue of Sports Illustrated. The feature has included icons such as Jack Nicklaus, Billie Jean King, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Terry Bradshaw, Emmitt Smith, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Walton, Cheryl Miller, Carl Lewis and Tiger Woods.

ERIN DEWEY

Durham College’s Erin Dewey was named the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women’s fastball player of the year for the third consecutive season in a ceremony held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Centre in Oshawa, Ont. on October 14, 2010.

The Port Hope, Ont., native posted a .677 batting average, scoring a league-high 20 runs while contributing 12 RBI. Her 21 hits were also most in the league. The third-year shortstop was also honored as the OCAA’s top batter in 2010, and named an OCAA all-star for the third time.

At the OCAA women’s fastball championship, the Lords went 3-0 to win its record 15th OCAA banner. Erin went 4-for-8 at the championship scoring four runs while driving in three RBI.

The previous week, Durham participated at the 2010 Canadian collegiate women’s fastball championship in Saskatoon, Sask., earning a bronze medal. Erin went 7-for-20 at the dish against the nation’s top teams for a .350 average in six games, scoring five times and driving in two runs.

Erin is the OCAA career leader in batting average with a .559 mark over three seasons.

ERICA DEWEY

Twin sister Erica is also one of the OCAA’s top players in her own right. The centrefielder went 13-for-28 at the plate with Durham during the 2010 regular season, batting .464. She scored 16 runs and drove in a league-high 15 RBI. She tied a single-game OCAA record on September 14 with six RBI in a 19-0 victory over Seneca College. Erica was 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring four runs while flashing some leather in the outfield, making some excellent plays. As a result, she was named OCAA female athlete of the week.

At the 2010 OCAA championship, Erica went 3-for-9, scoring three runs and driving in three RBI in three games. The previous week at the Canadian championship, Erica batted .316 in six games, going 6-for-19, scoring four runs while driving in six RBI.

Over her three-year OCAA career, Erica has batted .377, going 40-for-106 with 51 runs scored and 30 RBI. Erica tied the OCAA record for most runs in a season in 2008 when she scored 22 times in her rookie campaign. Along with her sister, Erica also shares the record for hits and runs in a game with five in each category, also set in 2008.

Source: Durham College with files from OCAA Communications