ECAC Announces 2016 DIII South Softball All-Stars
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its 2016 Division III South Softball All-ECAC Selections and major award winners.
Molly Simpson of Salisbury University was voted as the ECAC Player of the Year, while Arcadia University’s Jackie Bilotti secured the award for top rookie. Moravian College took home the remaining two major awards, with Josie Novak garnering the ECAC Pitcher of the Year honor and John Byrne receiving the award for coach of the year.
Player of the Year
Molly Simpson – Salisbury University, Sr., Second Base
Simpson collects the ECAC Player of the Year honor after winning the corresponding award in the Capital Athletic Conference. The senior batted .470 during the regular season for Salisbury, driving in 47 and scoring 53 runs of her own, while also blasting 12 home runs. The infielder closed the regular season with 55 hits, 26 of which went for extra bases, good for a .932 slugging percentage as the Gulls captured the CAC regular-season title. In addition to her conference and ECAC honors, Simpson was recently selected as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) DIII First Team All-American.
Pitcher of the Year
Josie Novak – Moravian College, So.
Novak finished the 2016 regular season with a 17-2 record, 1.80 ERA and 152 strikeouts, with her win and strikeout totals standing as the most in the Landmark Conference during the regular season. The 2015 ECAC DIII South Rookie of the Year turned in 16 complete games while holding hitters to a .197 batting average, as Moravian finished the regular season tied atop the Landmark standings. Partly due to her exploits, the Greyhounds would go on to win the conference championship and reach the NCAA DIII Regional round. Novak was recently selected to the NFCA DIII All-Atlantic Region Third Team.
Rookie of the Year
Jackie Bilotti – Arcadia University, Fr., Shortstop
Bilotti earns the honor for top rookie after a strong rookie season for the Knights. The shortstop posted a .441 batting average in the regular season, driving in 26 runs and scoring 28 more, while racking up 45 hits. The freshman made her presence felt on the basepaths as well, swiping 16 bags on 17 attempts. After helping Arcadia secure the 2016 ECAC DIII South Softball Championship, Bilotti was recently named to the NFCA All-East Region Third Team as an at-large selection.
Coach of the Year
John Byrne – Moravian College
Byrne led his team to a 32-4 regular-season mark in 2016, including an 11-1 mark in conference play as Moravian finished tied for first. It marked the 23rd consecutive season in which the Greyhounds have won at least 23 games. Moravian spent much of the season ranked in the NFCA DIII Top 25, and reached the NCAA Tournament regional round.
All-ECAC First Team
C: Emily Johnson – Lebanon Valley College, Sr.
1B: Shelby Noel – Saint Vincent College, So.
2B: Molly Simpson – Salisbury University, Sr.
3B: Sarah Blagg – Penn State – Behrend, So.
SS: Kim Dorsey – Salisbury University, Sr.
DH: Shannon McDonnell – Penn State – Behrend, Jr.
OF: Sammy Bost – Lebanon Valley College, Jr.
OF: Jessica Behr – Gwynedd Mercy University, So.
OF: Kayla Kelly – Bethany College, Sr.
UTIL: Paige Knussman – Salisbury University, Sr.
P: Josie Novak – Moravian College, So.
P: Kate Burge – Penn State – Altoona, Jr.
P: Annah Brittingham – Salisbury University, Sr.
All-ECAC Second Team
C: Clarissa Keller – Penn State – Altoona, Sr.
1B: Danielle Grayson – Neumann University, Sr.
2B: Becky Guinto – Neumann University, Jr.
3B: Lindsay Savar – Cabrini College, Jr.
SS: Kailey Liverman – Westminster College, Fr.
DH: Emily Smull – Cabrini College, So.
OF: Julie Siragusa – Moravian College, Jr.
OF: Katie Sterling – Widener University, So.
OF: Melissa Rozumalski – Neumann University, Sr.
UTIL: Aly Shilling – Alvernia University, Sr.
P: Amanda Carisone – Moravian College, So.
P: Alexis Schengrund – Widener University, Jr.
P: Jazmyn Rohrer – Westminster College, So.
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