ECAC Announces 2016 DIII New England Softball All-Stars
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its 2016 Division III New England Softball All-ECAC Selections and major award winners.
Sophomore Sydney Despres of Worcester State University was tabbed as the region’s player of the year, while Alexandra Marshall of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology collected the ECAC Pitcher of the Year award. Caroline Rice from Bowdoin College earned rookie of the year honors, while Worcester Polytechnic Institute Head Coach Whitney Goldstein was named coach of the year.
Player of the Year
Sydney Despres – Worcester State University, So., First Base
Despres was an offensive force for the Lancers in 2016, helping Worcester State capture its second Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular-season title. The sophomore finished the regular season first in batting average (.527), on base percentage (.569), slugging percentage (.992), doubles (20), home runs (13), RBI (49) and total bases (130) while helping the squad to a 12-2 record in the conference. Prior to receiving the ECAC Player of the Year Award, Despres was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) DIII All-New England Region First Team.
Pitcher of the Year
Alexandra Marshall – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sr.
Marshall earns her first ECAC accolade after a stellar senior campaign for MIT. The southpaw posted a 17-7 regular-season record to go along with a miniscule 0.940 ERA in 141.2 innings pitched. Marshall piled up 180 strikeouts in that span, compared to just 16 walks, en route to being named the pitcher of the year in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. Marshall recently received recognition from the NFCA for her accomplishments, earning a selection to the NFCA All-New England First Team.
Rookie of the Year
Caroline Rice – Bowdoin College, Fr., Outfield/First Base
Rice made an immediate impact in the Polar Bear lineup in 2016, earning New England Small College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors in the process. The rookie ranked second in the conference in batting average (.500) and hits (55) in the regular season, with 17 of those hits going for extra bases, and also posted 28 RBI, good for second-most on the team. In addition to her ECAC honor, Rice was a second-team selection in the 2016 NFCA DIII All-New England voting.
Coach of the Year
Whitney Goldstein – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Goldstein led her squad to a 33-6 regular-season mark as WPI captured its first regular-season and conference tournament titles in the NEWMAC era. The third-year coach, who has not won fewer than 30 games in any of her three seasons, also helped WPI reach the NCAA tournament for the second season in succession.
All-ECAC First Team
C: Kristen Solari – Johnson & Wales University, Sr.
1B: Sydney Despres – Worcester State University, So.
2B: Dakota Smith-Porter – Worcester State University, Jr.
3B: Maddie Atkocaitis – Westfield State University, So.
SS: Gabby Lavinio – Western New England University, Jr.
DH: Taylor Daniels – Worcester State University, Sr.
OF: Caroline Rice – Bowdoin College, Fr.
OF: Nina Murphy-Cook – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, So.
OF: Ama Biney – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, So.
UTIL: Kyra Naftel – Amherst College, Fr.
P: Kelly McCarthy – Bridgewater State University, Jr.
P: Alexandra Marshall – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sr.
P: Clare Doolin – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Sr.
All-ECAC Second Team
C: Lindsay Gurska – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Jr.
1B: Cassie Ruscz – Tufts University, Jr.
2B: Christina Raso – Tufts University, Sr.
3B: Maddie Sullivan – Brandeis University, Sr.
SS: Courtney Erickson – Trinity College, Fr.
DH: Emily Schaper – Johnson & Wales University, Jr.
OF: Erica Li – Williams College, Sr.
OF: Jasmin Joseph – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, So.
OF: Jessica Wheelahan – Becker College, Sr.
UTIL: Julia Sullivan – Westfield State University, Jr.
P: Mackenzie Murphy – Williams College, Fr.
P: Jennifer Corona – Johnson & Wales University, So.
P: Ali Reilly – Babson College, So.
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In the 76 years since its inception, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has emerged as the nation's largest Conference. The ECAC has grown considerably from its charter membership of 58, boasting over 300 member schools in Divisions I, II and III, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. In the 2015-16 academic year, the ECAC will host nearly 100 championships in 32 men’s and women's sports as the sponsors of over 5,800 varsity teams and 111,000 male and female Players. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.
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