NEW YORK – With the BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by JEEP getting under way on Thursday, the Conference announced its annual regular-season awards on Wednesday. Villanova’s Paige Rauch became the first in league history to sweep BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honors in the same season. Regular-season champion DePaul collected BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year recognition, while Blue Demon senior shortstop Maranda Gutierrez was voted BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. UConn shortstop Jana Sanden was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year to round out the major award winners.
An All-BIG EAST First Team and All-BIG EAST Second Team were also named, each consisting of 12 players made up of at least two pitchers, with the remaining spots selected at-large. All-BIG EAST Teams and major awards are selected via a vote of the league’s head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staffs.
Dating back to the BIG EAST’s inaugural softball season in 1992, no one has previously been voted BIG EAST Player and Pitcher of the Year in the same season. Over 17 BIG EAST games, Rauch was dominant both in the batter’s box and in the pitching circle, leading all league players in most major statistical categories. Offensively, the senior had the league’s best batting average (.438), slugging percentage (.875) and on base percentage (.614), and had the most walks (21) and runs scored (19). As a pitcher, Rauch had the BIG EAST’s top marks in earned run average (1.27), opposing batting average (.193), innings pitched (66.0), batters struck out (71) and wins (eight). She attacked the Villanova record book, setting the single-season record for shutouts (nine) and career standard for home runs (38). Rauch was also voted BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2019.
Led by third-year head coach Tracie Adix-Zins, DePaul clinched its seventh BIG EAST regular-season title with a 13-1 league mark. The Blue Demons led the conference in batting average (.298), ERA (1.94), opposing batting average (.230), while also surrendering the fewest hits (79), runs (29), doubles (10) and home runs (two) over 14 conference tilts. DePaul led all teams with seven total All-BIG EAST Team selections, including five on the Second Team. The Blue Demons are recognized as BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year for the seventh time.
The Blue Demons’ impressive defensive figures were thanks in part to their senior shortstop, Gutierrez. The two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the year recorded 20 putouts and 34 assists in 57 chances as the anchor of the infield. She also initiated four double plays in BIG EAST play.
Sanden becomes the first BIG EAST Freshman of the Year for UConn since 1996, and fourth Husky to claim the honor overall. The rookie shortstop led UConn with a .393 batting average to rank sixth among all BIG EAST players, while listing second in the conference with an .839 slugging percentage. She tallied a BIG EAST-high 21 RBI and 47 total bases, while ranking third in runs scored with 15.
Rauch headlined the All-BIG EAST First Team as one of five unanimous selections. UConn’s Sanden, Butler junior second baseman Lauren Fey, Creighton sophomore designated player Kailey Wilson and DePaul senior catcher Jessica Cothern were also uncontested picks. Also voted to the first team were Butler junior pitcher/designated player Karli Ricketts, UConn senior outfielder Reese Guevarra, Creighton senior outfielder Ashley Cantu, DePaul senior pitcher Natalie Halvorson, St. John’s graduate students Gretchen Bowie (third base) and Marissa Rizzi (first base), and Villanova junior designated player Ryan Henry.
The All-BIG EAST Second Team honorees were: Devon Casazza, UConn, Grad., C; Krista Dalgarn, DePaul, Sr., P; Brooke Johnson, DePaul, So., 1B; Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Sr., SS; Kate Polucha, DePaul, Sr., OF/LF; Nicole Sullivan, DePaul, Fr., 3B; Daniela Alvarez, Providence, Jr., P; Kaitlin Mattera, St. John's, Grad. , C; Hailey Arteaga, Seton Hall, Grad., OF; Ally Jones, Villanova, So., C; Angela Giampolo, Villanova, Sr., 2B; Megan Kern, Villanova, Jr., SS.
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P*
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Sr., SS
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Jana Sanden, UConn, Fr., SS
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul
All-BIG EAST First Team
Lauren Fey, Butler, Jr., 2B*
Karli Ricketts, Butler, Jr., P/DP
Reese Guevarra, UConn, Sr., OF
Jana Sanden, UConn, Fr., SS*
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, So., DP*
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, Sr., OF
Jessica Cothern DePaul, Sr., C*
Natalie Halvorson, DePaul, Sr., P
Gretchen Bowie, St. John's, Grad., 3B
Marissa Rizzi, St. John’s, Grad., 1B
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P*
Ryan Henry, Villanova, Jr., DP
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Devon Casazza, UConn, Grad., C
Krista Dalgarn, DePaul, Sr., P
Brooke Johnson, DePaul , So., 1B
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Sr., SS
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Sr., OF/LF
Nicole Sullivan, DePaul, Fr., 3B
Daniela Alvarez, Providence, Jr., P
Kaitlin Mattera, St. John's, Grad. , C
Hailey Arteaga, Seton Hall, Grad., OF
Ally Jones, Villanova, So., C
Angela Giampolo, Villanova, Sr., 2B
Megan Kern, Villanova, Jr., SS
*unanimous selection