MILTON, Mass. - ALL-TCCC SOFTBALL TEAM ANNOUNCED
• Endicott’s Merry MacDonald Selected Player of the Year
• Salve Regina’s Sarah Jakiela Honored as Pitcher of the Year
• Regis’s Caitlin Luquet Chosen Rookie of the Year
• University of New England’s Megan Gaedje Recognized as Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year
• Wentworth’s Bob Long Named Coach of the Year
• Wentworth Institute of Technology Earns Team Sportsmanship Award
Student-athletes from eleven different institutions in The Commonwealth Coast Conference were represented on the 2009 All-TCCC Softball Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. In addition to the all-conference team, winners of five major individual awards and the team sportsmanship award were also selected. Endicott College junior Merry MacDonald was named TCCC Player of the Year, Salve Regina University junior Sarah Jakiela were picked as TCCC Pitcher of the Year, Regis College freshman Caitlin Luquet was chosen TCCC Rookie of the Year, University of New England’s Megan Gaedje was honored as TCCC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, Wentworth’s Bob Long was honored as TCCC Coach of the Year, and Wentworth Institute of Technology was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.
Voting for the All-TCCC team and each of the major awards was conducted among TCCC softball coaches. Joining MacDonald (third base), Gaedje (outfield), and Jakiela on the first team were infielders Meghan Sargent (C, Endicott), Lauren Tobey (C, Curry), Trish Breault (1B, Western New England), Sarah Spaziano (2B, Endicott), Jenna Lazar (SS, Endicott), outfielders Megan Downey (Endicott) and Christina Farese (Western New England), designated player Alysia DiMuzio (Curry), and utility player Sarah Lempicki (Western New England).
Second-team selections included infielders Lauren Lombardo (C, Nichols), Casey Shanley (1B, Endicott), Erica Castro (2B, Roger Williams), Kristen Jackman (3B, Curry), Hannah Pirez (SS, Roger Williams), outfielders Michelle Caprice (Roger Williams), Ashley Robidoux (Nichols), and Ashley Wright (Endicott), designated player Jacqueline Tierney (Eastern Nazarene), pitcher Jaclyn Doolin (Roger Williams), and utility player Sarah Boyda (Anna Maria).
Receiving honorable mention along with Luquet (outfield) were infielders Ashley Gott (C, Univ. of New England), Bridget Souza (C, Wentworth), Hope Benjamin (1B, Regis), Krista Kelley (2B, Wentworth), Sara Barnes (3B, Western New England), Kim Cabral (SS, Wentworth), Lauren Webb (SS, Univ. of New England), outfielders Haley Hovhanessian (Endicott), Mary Moroski (Anna Maria), and Ashley Paolini (Regis), designated player Ashley DePasquale (Univ. of New England), picther Laura Bower (Western New England), and utility player Rachel Cavella (Regis).
MacDonald, a junior third baseman from Braintree, Mass., has been a tremendous all-around performer for an Endicott team that entered the TCCC tournament sporting a 33-6 overall record and an almost-perfect 23-1 mark in conference-play. During TCCC play, MacDonald led all conference players with a staggering .506 batting average, while also leading the league in hits (40, tied), total bases (72) and slugging percentage (.911). She ranked second in runs scored (34), home runs (9), RBI (33) and on-base percentage (.536).
Jakiela, a junior from Meriden, Conn., enjoyed a stellar campaign in the circle for Salve Regina. Pitching all but 7-2/3 of her team’s innings during conference play, Jakiela led all TCCC hurlers in virtually every statistical category. In TCCC play, she topped all pitchers with 16 wins, compiled a league-best 1.26 ERA and struck out a conference-high 229 batters in 156 innings pitched. Jakiela also led the league in opponents’ batting average (.179), appearances (23), games started (23) and complete games (21). She ranked third with five shutouts.
Luquet, a freshman outfielder from Walnut Creek, Calif., was a strong addition for Regis College, as she ked the Pride in virtually every offensive category during her inaugural campaign. In all games played, Luquet batted .407 with four home runs, 24 RBI, 21 runs scored and a .620 slugging percentage. Her .406 batting average in conference play ranked eighth in the league.
Gaedje, a senior outfielder from Tolland, Conn., has been a solid contributor for a UNE squad that advanced to the TCCC tournament as the #6 seed. An applied exercise science major who sports a 3.57 grade point average, Gaedje enjoyed a solid season for the Nor’easters, batting .385 with two home runs and 22 RBI. In addition to ranking third on her team in batting average and RBI, Gaedje also stole a TCCC-best 22 bases. She is a three-time TCCC All-Academic Team member and was honored at National Student Athlete Day.
Long performed a tremendous job leading the Leopards to a 9-23 overall record and a 7-17 mark in conference play as he returned to the head coaching post at Wentworth after a brief hiatus to concentrate exclusively on men’s soccer, which he has coached since 1997. His team’s performance might seem misleading, but nine total wins and seven conference victories is a dramatic improvement for a team that won a total of eight games over the past three seasons combined, a stretch in which the team was winless in conference play.
2009 ALL-TCCC SOFTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
C Meghan Sargent Endicott Senior
C Lauren Tobey Curry Senior
1B Trish Breault Western New England Sophomore
2B Sarah Spaziano Endicott Junior
3B Merry MacDonald Endicott Junior
SS Jenna Lazar Endicott Junior
OF Megan Downey Endicott Junior
OF Christina Farese Western New England Junior
OF Megan Gaedje Univ. of New England Senior
DP Alysia DiMuzio Curry Senior
P Sarah Jakiela Salve Regina Junior
UT Sarah Lempicki Western New England Freshman
SECOND TEAM
C Lauren Lombardo Nichols Junior
1B Casey Shanley Endicott Senior
2B Erica Castro Roger Williams Freshman
3B Kristen Jackman Curry Senior
SS Hannah Pirez Roger Williams Freshman
OF Michelle Caprice Roger Williams Junior
OF Ashley Robidoux Nichols Sophomore
OF Ashley Wright Endicott Sophomore
DP Jacqueline Tierney Eastern Nazarene Sophomore
P Jaclyn Doolin Roger Williams Freshman
UT Sarah Boyda Anna Maria Sophomore
HONORABLE MENTION
C Ashley Gott Univ. of New England Freshman
C Bridget Souza Wentworth Sophomore
1B Hope Benjamin Regis Sophomore
2B Krista Kelley Wentworth Senior
3B Sara Barnes Western New England Freshman
SS Kim Cabral Wentworth Senior
SS Lauren Webb Univ. of New England Junior
OF Haley Hovhanessian Endicott Sophomore
OF Caitlin Luquet Regis Freshman
OF Mary Moroski Anna Maria Freshman
OF Ashley Paolini Regis Senior
DP Ashley DePasquale Univ. of New England Senior
P Laura Bower Western New England Senior
UT Rachel Cavella Regis Sophomore
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Merry MacDonald, Endicott
PITCHER OF THE YEAR Sarah Jakiela, Salve Regina
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Caitlin Luquet, Regis
SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Megan Gaedje, Univ. of New England
COACH OF THE YEAR Bob Long, Wentworth
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD Wentworth Institute of Technology