RPI Duo, Thayer, Agans Collect Major Awards as ECAC Announces DIII North All-Star Selections
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its 2017 Division III North Softball major award recipients and All-ECAC selections.
Senior Stephanie Caudle of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute took home the award for Player of the Year, while Lindsey Thayer from St. John Fisher College was named Pitcher of the Year. Haleigh Agans from Plattsburgh State takes home Rookie of the Year and RPI Head Coach Amber Maisonet won Coach of the Year.
Caudle garnered the ECAC Player of the Year honor after being named the Liberty League Player of the Year for the second straight year. She helped the Engineers to their first NCAA tournament since 2006 as RPI posted an overall record of 25-12 and a 9-3 mark in league play. Caudle was a dual threat for the Engineers with one of the best batting averages (.390) and earned run averages (1.80) in the league. From the plate, she smashed a league-high seven home runs and recorded 39 RBIs. She also had nine doubles and 17 runs scored. Caudle capped her senior season off being named the the All-Northeast Region First Team.
Thayer repeats as the ECAC Pitcher of the Year coming on the heels of being named Empire 8 Pitcher of the Year for the third time in as many years. The junior was named First Team All-Conference as well as All-Northeast Region First Team. She led the country in ERA (0.42), strikeouts (346) and strikeouts per seven innings (14.4). Thayer is a two-time All-American owning a 23-5 record so far. She was also named the Most Valuable Player of the Empire 8 Championship. In the circle, Thayer had 22 games with at least 10 strikeouts. She was named the National Pitcher of the Week twice, ECAC North Pitcher of the Week four times and Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week six times. Thayer threw two no-hitters including a perfect game in late April, notching her 1,000th career strikeout and tied the NCAA Division III record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game with 21.
Agans’ Rookie of the Year award follows a selection to the All-Northeast Region Third Team in addition to being named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year. Agans finished the season as the SUNYAC leader in RBIs (42) and the conference co-leader in home runs (7) while ranking fourth in batting average (.410) and tying for seventh in doubles (9). She also posted a perfect fielding percentage on 159 putouts and nine assists. Agans currently sits second in program history in single-season RBIs and third in program history in single-season batting average. Agans fashioned a 20-game hit streak during the spring, and was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team after hitting .615 and recording 10 RBIs, two doubles, two home runs and two runs scored during the conference tournament. She capped off her freshman year earning two ECAC North Rookie of the Week honors.
RPI Head Coach Amber Maisonet led the engineers to its first Liberty League title since 2013 and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2006. RPI finished the season with a 25-12 overall record. As a team, the Engineers boasted a .313 batting average, ranking second among the league and led the league in fielding percentage (.968). Maisonet and her staff were named the Liberty League Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. Maisonet coached two student-athletes to All-Northeast Region recognition, five All-Liberty League nods in addition to two Liberty League major awards.
Player of the Year
Stephanie Caudle – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sr.
Pitcher of the Year
Lindsey Thayer – St. John Fisher College, Jr.
Rookie of the Year
Haleigh Agans – Plattsburgh State, Fr.
Coach of the Year
Amber Maisonet – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
All-ECAC First Team
Haleigh Agans – Plattsburgh State, Fr.
Katie Mazierski – St. John Fisher College, Jr.
Liz Thompson – Alfred University, Sr.
Jennifer Groat – Plattsburgh State, So.
Ali Schwenzfeier – Clarkson University, Sr.
Raeanna Dunn – Clarkson University, Jr.
Niki Barbato – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
Ashley Prince – St. John Fisher College, So.
Kaitlyn Epler – Marywood University, Fr.
Stephanie Caudle – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sr.
Haley Congdon – Ithaca College, So.
Lindsey Thayer – St. John Fisher College, Jr.
Jamie Bridge – Clarkson University, Sr.
All-ECAC Honorable Mention
Rosie Phillips – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
Melissa Barber – Alfred State, So.
Karlie Neal – St. John Fisher College, Sr.
Summer Lancette – Clarkson University, Jr.
Jessie Fleck – Ithaca College, Sr.
Jamie Lachall – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
Jordan Podkladek – SUNY Canton, Sr.
Allie Block – Buffalo State College, So.
Gracen Staunton – Wilkes University, Fr.
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