Gutierrez Named Defensive Player of the Year, DePaul Lands Seven on All-BIG EAST Teams
5/12/2021 10:02:00 AM | SOFTBALL
Adix-Zins and Co. Named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
NEW YORK – DePaul softball saw seven student-athletes earn 2021 All-BIG EAST recognition as announced by the league office on Wednesday morning. The league's eight head coaches each casted a ballot for the year-end awards and could not vote for their own players.
Senior shortstop Maranda Gutierrez headlined the squad as she was selected BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career.
Gutierrez spearheaded the DePaul defense en route to a team fielding percentage of .965 in BIG EAST play as the Blue Demons went 13-1 and locked up the regular season title along with the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. The Whittier, Calif. native registered 20 putouts and 34 assists in 57 chances as the anchor of the infield. Gutierrez also initiated four double plays in league games. This marks the second Defensive Player of the Year award for Gutierrez in three seasons of its existence. 2019 saw Gutierrez earn the top defensive honor alongside a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Head Coach Tracie Adix-Zins alongside her staff of Joe Yegge, Amanda Buchholz and Abby Ramirez were selected Coaching Staff of the Year.
Adix-Zins and Co. guided the Blue Demons to a 25-9 regular season record and BIG EAST regular season crown, the seventh in program history. DePaul went undefeated at Cacciatore Stadium for the first time since 2014 with a perfect 10-0 record with six wins coming in conference play. The Blue Demons led the league in batting average at .298 and ERA at 1.94. DePaul heads into the BIG EAST Championship on a nine-game winning streak and winners of 19 of their last 21 contests.
DePaul led the BIG EAST with seven All-Conference selections, placing two on the First Team and five on the Second Team.
Seniors Jessica Cothern and Natalie Halvorson were First Team honorees.
Cothern, a unanimous selection in 2021, has earned All-BIG EAST recognition in all four seasons awards were presented. The 2017 Freshman of the Year collected First Team honors in 2017 and 2019 and landed on the Second Team in 2018. 2021 saw Cothern rank third in the BIG EAST in conference games with a .417 average. Cothern's on-base percentage of .553 over 14 contests was good for second in the league. The catcher caught four runners stealing and totaled 78 putouts and tallied 10 assists behind the plate.
Halvorson was a force to be reckoned with in the circle in conference play, posting a perfect 7-0 mark in nine appearances. The Ely, Iowa native recorded the second-lowest ERA in the conference at a 1.89 mark. The seven victories rank second best amongst the league's hurlers. Halvorson saw just one ball leave the park off her arm and opponents hit just .241 against the senior. In two seasons of conference competition, Halvorson is 14-2 (.875).
Gutierrez joined teammates Krista Dalgarn, Brooke Johnson, Kate Polucha, and Nicole Sullivan on the Second Team.
Dalgarn proved to be a prominent figure in the circle for the Blue Demons with a 5-1 league record in 12 appearances. Dalgarn's 2.18 ERA ranks third in the conference behind Paige Rauch, BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, and teammate Natalie Halvorson. The fifth-year senior allowed just one home run in 45 innings of work and led the league in saves with two.
At first base, Johnson saw a breakout sophomore campaign in 2021. Johnson led the Blue Demons in RBI with 13 and matched the team-high with 15 hits. In the cleanup spot, Johnson maintained a .349 average and .429 on-base percentage. In a 2-0 win over Butler on May 1, Johnson accounted for the two DePaul runs on an RBI single down the left field line and a solo-home run. The Chino Hills, Calif native led the squad with 85 putouts and two assists with just one error in BIG EAST play.
Polucha earned her third All-BIG EAST certificate in 2021 after a stellar senior campaign. The left fielder led the Blue Demons in home runs with three and total bases with 27 in 14 league contests. The Laguna Niguel, Calif. native drove in nine runs on 15 hits. In 2018, Polucha was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and landed on the First Team before earning Second Team distinction in 2019.
Sullivan made an immediate impact at third base for the Blue Demons. Just one of two freshmen to earn All-Conference honors in 2021, Sullivan ranked second on the squad in batting average in her first conference campaign at a .387 clip. Sullivan totaled 12 RBI and led the team in slugging at .677. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa product recorded her first career home run against Creighton on April 17 followed by a grand slam in the series finale 10-2 victory on April 18.
DePaul is the No. 1 seed in the 2021 BIG EAST Championship presented by Jeep and will square off against 4-seed Butler on Thursday, May 13 at 11 a.m. CT with live coverage on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
2021 BIG EAST Regular Season Awards:
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
Senior shortstop Maranda Gutierrez headlined the squad as she was selected BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career.
Gutierrez spearheaded the DePaul defense en route to a team fielding percentage of .965 in BIG EAST play as the Blue Demons went 13-1 and locked up the regular season title along with the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. The Whittier, Calif. native registered 20 putouts and 34 assists in 57 chances as the anchor of the infield. Gutierrez also initiated four double plays in league games. This marks the second Defensive Player of the Year award for Gutierrez in three seasons of its existence. 2019 saw Gutierrez earn the top defensive honor alongside a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Head Coach Tracie Adix-Zins alongside her staff of Joe Yegge, Amanda Buchholz and Abby Ramirez were selected Coaching Staff of the Year.
Adix-Zins and Co. guided the Blue Demons to a 25-9 regular season record and BIG EAST regular season crown, the seventh in program history. DePaul went undefeated at Cacciatore Stadium for the first time since 2014 with a perfect 10-0 record with six wins coming in conference play. The Blue Demons led the league in batting average at .298 and ERA at 1.94. DePaul heads into the BIG EAST Championship on a nine-game winning streak and winners of 19 of their last 21 contests.
DePaul led the BIG EAST with seven All-Conference selections, placing two on the First Team and five on the Second Team.
Seniors Jessica Cothern and Natalie Halvorson were First Team honorees.
Cothern, a unanimous selection in 2021, has earned All-BIG EAST recognition in all four seasons awards were presented. The 2017 Freshman of the Year collected First Team honors in 2017 and 2019 and landed on the Second Team in 2018. 2021 saw Cothern rank third in the BIG EAST in conference games with a .417 average. Cothern's on-base percentage of .553 over 14 contests was good for second in the league. The catcher caught four runners stealing and totaled 78 putouts and tallied 10 assists behind the plate.
Halvorson was a force to be reckoned with in the circle in conference play, posting a perfect 7-0 mark in nine appearances. The Ely, Iowa native recorded the second-lowest ERA in the conference at a 1.89 mark. The seven victories rank second best amongst the league's hurlers. Halvorson saw just one ball leave the park off her arm and opponents hit just .241 against the senior. In two seasons of conference competition, Halvorson is 14-2 (.875).
Gutierrez joined teammates Krista Dalgarn, Brooke Johnson, Kate Polucha, and Nicole Sullivan on the Second Team.
Dalgarn proved to be a prominent figure in the circle for the Blue Demons with a 5-1 league record in 12 appearances. Dalgarn's 2.18 ERA ranks third in the conference behind Paige Rauch, BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, and teammate Natalie Halvorson. The fifth-year senior allowed just one home run in 45 innings of work and led the league in saves with two.
At first base, Johnson saw a breakout sophomore campaign in 2021. Johnson led the Blue Demons in RBI with 13 and matched the team-high with 15 hits. In the cleanup spot, Johnson maintained a .349 average and .429 on-base percentage. In a 2-0 win over Butler on May 1, Johnson accounted for the two DePaul runs on an RBI single down the left field line and a solo-home run. The Chino Hills, Calif native led the squad with 85 putouts and two assists with just one error in BIG EAST play.
Polucha earned her third All-BIG EAST certificate in 2021 after a stellar senior campaign. The left fielder led the Blue Demons in home runs with three and total bases with 27 in 14 league contests. The Laguna Niguel, Calif. native drove in nine runs on 15 hits. In 2018, Polucha was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and landed on the First Team before earning Second Team distinction in 2019.
Sullivan made an immediate impact at third base for the Blue Demons. Just one of two freshmen to earn All-Conference honors in 2021, Sullivan ranked second on the squad in batting average in her first conference campaign at a .387 clip. Sullivan totaled 12 RBI and led the team in slugging at .677. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa product recorded her first career home run against Creighton on April 17 followed by a grand slam in the series finale 10-2 victory on April 18.
DePaul is the No. 1 seed in the 2021 BIG EAST Championship presented by Jeep and will square off against 4-seed Butler on Thursday, May 13 at 11 a.m. CT with live coverage on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
2021 BIG EAST Regular Season Awards:
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
Players Mentioned
C/3B
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P/1B
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INF
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P
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RHP/ 1B
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OF
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P/SS
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