DePaul University Athletics
Softball Collects Numerous All-BIG EAST Honors
5/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
NEW YORK - The DePaul softball team collected numerous All-BIG EAST accolades in an announcement made by league office on Wednesday.
Morgan Maize was named Player of the Year and a first team all-conference selection. Dylan Christensen, Naomi Tellez and Nicole Pihl joined Maize on the first team. Megan Leyva was a second team selection.
DePaul's coaching staff was named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Maize was a force offensively and defensively throughout the BIG EAST season. At the plate, Maize leads the conference and DePaul with a .444 batting average. The senior continues to top the charts in the BIG EAST with 22 runs and 27 RBI.
Maize served as the Blue Demons' ace in the circle this season. In her 14 appearances against conference foes, she went 11-2 to tie for first in the league for wins. The Franklin Park, Ill. native notched 68 strikeouts in 76.1 innings of work and boasted a 2.48 ERA.
Maize is the first DePaul player named BIG EAST Player of the Year since Mary Connolly in 2014. She is no stranger to BIG EAST recognition this season. She was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week and to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice.
Dylan Christensen terrorized the BIG EAST pitching throughout the season with a .421 batting average. She accounted for 23 hits, 15 runs, two doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI in 19 BIG EAST games. The Chula Vista, Calif. native is third in the league behind Maize and Pihl for batting average, tied for fifth for runs scored and third for hits and doubles.
In the field, Christensen recorded 43 putouts and maintained a 1.000 fielding percentage in BIG EAST games. She was tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once this season.
Tellez capped her BIG EAST regular season with a .345 batting average. The senior slugger and San Diego, Calif. native started all 19 league games and boasts eight runs, five doubles, a triple, three homers and 10 RBI.
Behind the plate, Tellez is responsible for 93 putouts and 13 assists to maintain a 1.000 fielding percentage. She was named BIG EAST Player of the Week once this season.
Used primarily as DePaul's designated player, Pihl took to the plate to notch a league and team-best seven home runs in BIG EAST action. The junior from Marseilles, Ill. recorded a .442 batting average, nine runs, two doubles and 23 RBI.
Pihl was named BIG EAST Player of the Week and to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season.
Leyva claimed a spot on the second team as she recorded a .344 batting average in 14 league games played. She notched five runs, two doubles, two homers and seven RBI.
In the circle, Leyva accounted for nine appearances and seven starts. She posted five league wins and recorded 17 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. She holds a 3.82 ERA. The San Diego, Calif. native has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice this season.
As a coaching staff, head coach Eugene Lenti, associate head coach Lindsay Platt, assistant coach Jackie Spina, volunteer assistant Ashley Sunshine and graduate assistant Allie Braden guided the 2016 Blue Demons to a 16-3 BIG EAST Conference record and their first regular season title since 2014. It was the fifth time DePaul's coaching staff has claimed the award.
The honorees and the rest of the DePaul softball team enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship tournament May 13-14. The Blue Demons open play against No. 4 Butler at noon on Friday at the Ballpark at Rosemont. All games at the tournament will be broadcast on FS2.
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Morgan Maize, DePaul, Sr.*
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Kate Poppe, Villanova, Sr.
BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Lauren Hanna, Villanova
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul
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
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
