BIG EAST Announces 2016 Softball Award Winners
NEW YORK – The top seeds in the 2016 BIG EAST Softball Championship added on to an already successful season as No. 1 DePaul and No. 2 Villanova each claimed two of the four major awards as announced by the Conference. Blue Demons senior pitcher and infielder Morgan Maize was unanimously selected BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Kate Poppe became the first BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year from Villanova since 2002. DePaul, led by 32-year head coach Eugene Lenti, takes BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors back home to Chicago for the fifth time. Villanova catcher Lauren Hanna is the first Wildcat to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year since 1995.
Lenti led the Blue Demons to their second regular season BIG EAST title in three years and fifth overall. The Blue Demons won six conference series in 2016, tops in the league. As a team, DePaul led the league in batting average at .333 in conference games and was second in earned run average with a 2.99 mark. Additionally, the Blue Demons earned a spot in the BIG EAST Championship field for the 11
th straight season.
Maize powered the DePaul offense with her BIG EAST-best .444 batting average. The senior also ranks atop the league in hits (28), runs scored (22), RBI (27), and total bases (55) while ranking second in home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.873). During the regular season she was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week.
Poppe capped a magnificent career with another stellar season in the circle, throwing in a league-high 87.1 innings while recording 11 wins, tied for tops in the BIG EAST. The senior was selected BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on one occasion this season and was named to the Honor Roll three times. Overall, she ranks second in Division I among active career leaders with 977 strikeouts, having posted 79 in league play this season.
Hanna led all freshmen with a .386 batting average and a slugging percentage of .579 in league play. The newcomer ranked second on the Villanova roster in batting average, knocking in 11 runs behind three long balls and two doubles. The freshman’s production helped the Wildcats to their best regular-season finish and most wins since 2002.
Each All-BIG EAST Team consists of 12 players: two pitchers; one catcher, first baseman, second baseman, short stop, third baseman, utility/pitcher, designated player/non-pitcher, and three outfielders. Villanova led all teams with eight all-league selections including four first-team nods. DePaul also put four players on the first team along with another selection on the second team, while St. John’s added three total picks (one first team, two second team). Butler, Creighton, Providence and Seton Hall had two selections apiece.
BIG EAST Championship teams combined for 18 of the 24 All-BIG EAST selections. The two-day tournament in suburban Chicago at the Ballpark at Rosemont begins Friday, with No. 1 DePaul facing No. 4 Butler in Game 1 at noon (CT), followed by No. 2 Villanova versus No. 3 St. John’s at 3 p.m. (CT).
2016 BIG EAST Player of the Year
Morgan Maize, DePaul, Sr., P/IF*
2016 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Kate Poppe, Villanova, Sr.
2016 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Lauren Hanna, Villanova, C
2016 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul
2016 All-BIG EAST First Team
Kate Poppe, Villanova, Sr., P
Morgan Maize, DePaul, Sr., P
Naomi Tellez, DePaul, Sr., C
Dylan Christensen, DePaul, Jr., 1B*
Maggie Macbeth, Butler, R-Fr., 2B
Brittany Husk, Villanova, So., SS
Lauren Herschberg, Villanova, Jr., 3B
Savannah Warren, St. John’s, So., Util.
Nicole Pihl, DePaul, Jr., DP*
Emma Lee, Providence, Fr., OF
Kiki Baldassari, Providence, Sr., OF
Aleshia Ayers, Villanova, Sr., OF
2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team
Kristin Gutierrez, Butler, Sr., P
McKenzie Murray, St. John’s, So., P
Lauren Hanna, Villanova, Fr., C
Nikki Alden, Villanova, So., 1B
Chase Snell, Villanova, Jr., 2B
Ragen Reddick, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
Alexis Walkden, Seton Hall, So., 3B
Megan Leyva, DePaul, So., Util.
Dana Morris, Villanova, So., DP
Michelle Trulin, Creighton, Sr., OF
Brittany Garcia, St. John’s, Jr., OF
Allie Reinhart, Creighton, Jr., OF
*Unanimous selection