CACC Softball All-Conference and Major Award Winners Announced
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Bloomfield College senior shortshop Angie Yoshizu has been named the 2014 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Softball Player of the Year, Caldwell College sophomore Amber Padilla was tabbed as Pitcher of the Year, Bloomfield’s Kirsten Wilson was designated Rookie of the Year and Nyack College garners the Team Sportsmanship Award as voted on by the conference coaches and announced today by Commissioner Daniel Mara. The league’s sports information directors voted Tracey Garofalo of Post University in Waterbury as Coach of the Year.
Yoshizu, this week’s selection as CACC Player of the Week, established the new Bloomfield career hits record in March and surpassed the 200-hit mark in the process. The native of Kaneohe, Hawaii is the most decorated softball player in the history of the Deacon program. She is the first BC softball conference Player of the Year, a three-time CACC First Team All-Conference performer and is also the first Deacon to be honored as the CACC Rookie of the Year (2011). The leadoff hitter has connected for 52 hits (8th, CACC), a .388 batting average (11th), 34 runs scored (9th), 67 total bases (15th) and 10 doubles (16th) this season. She has only struck out 12 times this season and has stolen eight-of-nine bases. Yoshizu has recorded 17 multi-hit games in 38 contests in 2014. The slick fielding shortstop has only committed four errors in 125 chances.
Padilla, a native of Chino, Calif., currently leads the CACC with 14 wins, 1.70 earned run average, four shutouts and 14 complete games. The Cougar hurler has made 20 appearances so far in 2014 and has pitched 115.0 innings (6th, CACC), fanned 75 (4th) and opponents are only hitting .236 (7th) against the hard-throwing right hander. Padilla has won 14 of her last 15 starts for the 10th-ranked Caldwell powering the Cougars to the 2014 CACC Regular Season Title and the #1 seed in the upcoming league tournament.
Wilson, the Beaver Falls, Pa. native has struck out a league leading 161 batters in only 116.0 innings pitched (9.72 K/gm), 108 of which have come in CACC play. Although she has six wins in 14 starts, Wilson has completed 11 games (11th, CACC), recorded a 1.87 earned run average (3rd) and opponents are only hitting .200 (4th). The dual threat has also punished opposing pitchers this season by hitting .358 with a .412 on base percentage (9th), and connecting on six homeruns (6th), 75 total bases (10th), 43 hits and 40 runs batted in (5th).
Garofalo and her Eagles proved the CACC Preseason Coaches Poll wrong by finishing third in the 2014 standings after being placed ninth in the survey. Post finished the conference regular season campaign with an 18-8 record, the exact opposite record from a year ago. The mentor in her seventh season will guide her team back to the conference playoffs after leading the Eagles to four consecutive appearances from 2009-2012. The 2002 graduate of Post has placed Jackie Bonamassa on this year’s All-CACC First Team and senior Stephanie DeMartino, junior Kaitlin Derby, and freshman Erica Ragazzone on honorable mention.
Joining Yoshizu, Wilson, Padilla and Bonamassa on the CACC All-Conference First Team are catcher Alyssa Calderon, 3B Kristen Knorr, OF Caitlin McCready and P Sydney Ponto of Caldwell; 1B Ciera Clark of Felician College; 2B Danielle McDevitt of Holy Family University; OF Dara Schroeder of Georgian Court University; OF Samantha Riabko of Philadelphia University; and utility Kimberly Ragazzo and at-large Elontay Collins of Dominican College.
Composing the All-CACC Second Team are: catcher Shannon Haukap of Dominican; 1B Brielle Reighn, SS Megan Fryday, OF Amy Hickman and OF Nicole Velardi of Caldwell; 2B Meaghan Lewis and utility Renee Kakareka of Philadelphia University; 3B Taylor McDonough and P Deanna Daluise of Georgian Court; OF AnnMarie Dalton of Holy Family; OF Charlee King of Goldey-Beacom College, DP Ashley Bennett, P Stephanie Sarris and at-large Meghan Logullo of Wilmington University and at-large Haylee Williams of Felician.
Named honorable mention are Post’s Derby, DeMartino and Ragazzone; OF Brianna Scotto, P Bailey Walters and OF Kelsi Bunda of Holy Family; and 2B Lauren Frye of Caldwell.
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell College, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (NY) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician College, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Nyack College, Philadelphia University, Post University, University of the Sciences and Wilmington University.
2014 CACC Softball All-Conference Teams
First Team
C |
Alyssa Calderon, Caldwell |
Junior |
Fontana, Calif. |
1B |
Ciera Clark, Felician |
Junior |
Granite Bay, Calif. |
2B |
Danielle McDevitt, Holy Family |
Senior |
Williamstown, N.J. |
3B |
Kristen Knorr, Caldwell |
Junior |
Monroeville, N.J. |
SS |
Angie Yoshizu, Bloomfield |
Senior |
Kaneohe, Hawaii |
OF |
Dara Schroeder, Georgian Court |
Junior |
Bordentown, N.J. |
OF |
Caitlin McCready, Caldwell |
Sophomore |
Jupiter, Fla. |
OF |
Samantha Riabko, Philadelphia U. |
Senior |
Haddon Twp, N.J. |
DP |
Kirsten Wilson, Bloomfield |
Freshman |
Beaver Falls, Pa. |
UT |
Kimberly Ragazzo, Dominican |
Sophomore |
Lawrenceville, N.J. |
P |
Amber Padilla, Caldwell |
Sophomore |
Chino, Calif. |
P |
Sydney Ponto, Caldwell |
Freshman |
West Deptford, N.J. |
AT |
Elontay Collins, Dominican |
Freshman |
San Diego, Calif. |
AT |
Jackie Bonamassa, Post |
Senior |
Staten Island, N.Y. |
Second Team
C |
Shannon Haukap, Dominican |
Sophomore |
Edmonds, Wash. |
1B |
Brielle Reighn, Caldwell |
Sophomore |
Runnemeade, N.J. |
2B |
Meaghan Lewis, Philadelphia U. |
Senior |
Binghamton, N.Y. |
3B |
Taylor McDonough, Georgian Court |
Senior |
Toms River, N.J. |
SS |
Megan Fryday, Caldwell |
Junior |
San Marcos, Calif. |
OF |
AnnMarie Dalton, Holy Family |
Senior |
Northampton, Pa. |
OF |
Amy Hickman, Caldwell |
Freshman |
Jackson, N.J. |
OF |
Nicole Velardi, Caldwell |
Senior |
Belleville, N.J. |
OF |
Charlee King, Goldey-Beacom |
Freshman |
New Castle, Del. |
DP |
Ashley Bennett, Wilmington |
Sophomore |
Laurel, Del. |
UT |
Renee Kakareka, Philadelphia U. |
Sophomore |
Schaumburg, Ill. |
P |
Deanna Daluise, Georgian Court |
Senior |
Manalapan, N.J. |
P |
Stephanie Sarris, Wilmington |
Senior |
Rohnert Park, Calif. |
AT |
Haylee Williams, Felician |
Junior |
Carlsbad, Calif. |
AT |
Meghan Logullo, Wilmington |
Senior |
Middletown, Del. |
Honorable Mention:
OF |
Kelsi Bunda, Holy Family |
Junior |
Yardley, Pa. |
C |
Stephanie DeMartino, Post |
Senior |
Staten Island, N.Y. |
P |
Kaitlin Derby, Post |
Junior |
Douglaston, N.Y. |
2B |
Lauren Frye, Caldwell |
Freshman |
Jupiter, Fla. |
1B |
Erica Ragazzone, Post |
Freshman |
Springfield, Pa. |
OF |
Brianna Scotto, Holy Family |
Freshman |
West Babylon, N.Y. |
P |
Bailey Walters, Holy Family |
Freshman |
Ridgecrest, Calif. |
Player of the Year: Angie Yoshizu,
Bloomfield
Pitcher of the Year: Amber Padilla, Caldwell
Rookie of the Year: Kirsten Wilson, Bloomfield
Coach of the Year: Tracey Garofalo, Post
Team Sportsmanship Award: Nyack College