ECAC Announces 2016 DI Softball All-Stars
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its 2016 Division I Softball All-ECAC Selections and major award winners.
Following a historic season, James Madison University received three of the four major awards; senior Jailyn Ford was named the player of the year, while teammate Megan Good collected the ECAC DI Softball Pitcher of the Year Award and head coach Mickey Dean garnered coach of the year. Hayley Norton of Saint Francis University rounded out the major awards with the rookie of the year honor.
Player of the Year
Jailyn Ford – James Madison University, Sr., Utility/Pitcher
Ford put together one of the best two-way seasons in program history for James Madison in 2016. The senior batted .336 with 41 hits and 30 RBI during the regular season, and clubbed a team-high 11 home runs while leading the Colonial Athletic Association with 42 walks. Ford was just as valuable in the circle as she was at the dish, posting a 15-2 record with a 1.02 ERA over 123.2 innings of work while fanning 143. The Virginia native was recently named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-American.
Pitcher of the Year
Megan Good – James Madison University, So., Pitcher/Infielder
Good’s pitcher of the year award is her second major ECAC honor in as many seasons. After claiming rookie of the year as a freshman in 2015, the Virginia native picked up where she left off in her second season; she ended the regular season with a stunning 28-2 record to go along with a whopping 198 strikeouts, most in the CAA during the regular season, and also tossed a perfect game. Like Ford, Good was recently honored as an NFCA First Team All-American.
Rookie of the Year
Hayley Norton – Saint Francis University, Fr., Outfield
Norton was a force at the plate in her first season with the Red Flash. The outfielder hit .333 with 59 hits in 177 at-bats, driving in 54 runs and scoring 46 more over the course of the regular season. More than half of the rookie’s hits went for extra bases, as she clubbed 14 home runs, three triples and a league-best 16 doubles while accumulating 122 total bases. Norton was a finalist for the NFCA Rookie of the Year Award.
Coach of the Year
Mickey Dean – James Madison University
After recording a conference-record 48 wins last season, Dean continued to push the Dukes in the right direction in just his fourth year at the helm with a 43-4 overall mark, and an 18-1 record in CAA play. JMU was ranked in the Top 10 nationally in both polls for the majority of 2016, as the Dukes went 7-2 in non-conference play against ranked foes, highlighted by a victory over then-No. 3 Auburn on Feb. 20. After claiming the regular-season and conference tournament titles in the CAA, Dean and his squad would reach the NCAA Softball Super Regional for the first time ever.
All-ECAC First Team
C: Liz Snow – University at Albany, Jr.
1B: Meghan Kovac – Bucknell University, So.
2B: Claire Oberdorf – Marist College, Fr.
3B: Kasey McCravey – Army West Point, Sr.
SS: Jordan Seneca – Saint Francis University, So.
DH: Griffin McIver – Binghamton University, Sr.
OF: Haley Norton – Saint Francis University, Fr.
OF: Sydney Canessa – Fordham University, Jr.
OF: Jessica Rutherford – Binghamton University, So.
UTIL: Allie Pisciotta – Stony Brook University, Sr.
P: Marina Vitalich – George Mason University, Fr.
P: Megan Good – James Madison University, So.
P: Jailyn Ford – James Madison University, Sr.
All-ECAC Second Team
C: Janelle Bouchard – University of Maine, Jr.
1B: Madison Cabell – Saint Francis University, So.
2B: Jessica Hughes – Fordham University, Fr.
3B: Kassidy Troxell – Saint Francis University, Fr.
SS: Katie McEachern – Dartmouth College, Sr.
DH: Mariah Kondravy – University of Delaware, So.
OF: Emma Lee – Providence College, Fr.
OF: Maddy Kaplan – Harvard University, So.
OF: Lindsey Silfer – Canisius College, Jr.
UTIL: Rachel Heinze – Mount St. Mary’s University, Jr.
P: Ketarah DeVries – Saint Francis University, r-Jr.
P: Amanda Fazio – Bucknell University, Sr.
P: Jayne Oberdorf – Marist College, Jr.
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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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