Somerset, NJ -- After winning its first Northeast Conference regular season crown since 1998 and posting a 17-3 league mark, Robert Morris collected three of the four major NEC postseason softball awards, which were announced, along with all-NEC first and second-teams, at the NEC Tournament banquet on Thursday evening. Colonials junior Keri Meyer (Carnegie, PA/Canevin Catholic) was selected NEC Player of the Year, while Meyer’s teammate, sophomore Danielle Cohen (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), was named NEC Pitcher of the Year and RMU head coach Craig Coleman took home NEC Coach of the Year honors. Wagner shortstop Katie Stevens (Reno, NV/Wooster) was awarded the NEC Rookie of the Year.
Robert Morris led all schools with six all-NEC performers, followed by Wagner with five, Long Island with four, Monmouth with three, Central Connecticut State with two and Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Francis (NY), Sacred Heart and Mount St. Mary’s with one each. The all-NEC teams consist of seven seniors, nine juniors and eight sophomores, including seven sophomores who earned all-NEC first team honors.
Meyer and Cohen become the first Robert Morris players to win a major NEC postseason award since Lauren Dickinson won both the NEC Player and Pitcher of the Year awards in 2001. Meyer currently leads the league in batting average (.427), slugging percentage (.650), on-base percentage (.478) and total bases (93), while ranking third in hits (61), fourth in runs-batted-in (34) and tied for fifth in runs scored (31). In conference play, Meyer is hitting a league-best .516 with 22 RBI. The Carnegie, PA native is also a two-time all-NEC selection at second base.
Cohen was selected NEC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 10-0 mark and a 1.49 ERA in league action. She allowed only 13 earned runs in 61.0 innings against NEC foes with a league-leading 74 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to a .200 batting average. Overall, the sophomore is 12-5 with a 1.41 ERA and 120 strikeouts. Cohen becomes the third Colonial to earn NEC Pitcher of the Year accolades, including Dickinson in 2001 and Erica Schwanke in 1998. The South Jersey export is also a first team all-NEC selection.
Coleman picks up his second NEC Coach of the Year award, after capturing his first in 1997. A 15-year veteran, who was recently named RMU’s Director of Athletics, Coleman has guided the Colonials to five NEC Tournament titles, including four-in-a-row from 1991-1994, with his last coming in 1998. Robert Morris’ 17 NEC wins this season ties a school record established in 2001 (17-5). During Coleman’s 15 seasons, the Colonials have posted an overall record of 361-328-4 (.524), including 145-57-1 (.717) in the NEC.
Stevens was selected NEC Rookie of the Year after batting .409 for the Seahawks, which ranks third in the NEC, to go along with 31 runs scored, 56 hits, 12 doubles, four home runs, 28 RBI, and a .584 slugging-percentage and .454 on-base percentage. A consistent performer the entire season, Stevens earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors four times, including once each in March and May and twice in April. In conference play, the Reno, NV product ranked fourth in the league in batting (.468) and RBI (23) and tied for fourth in runs scored (18). Stevens becomes the first-ever Wagner player to earn a major postseason award in softball.
Robert Morris, LIU and Monmouth each have three 2005 first teamers. Along with Meyer and Cohen, RMU sophomore Jill Spargo (Warren, PA/Warren Area) is named to the first team NEC as a shortstop. Spargo pumped up her batting average more than 120 points this season from .262 in 2004 to .384 to 2005. The speedy Spargo did much of her damage on the basepaths for the Colonials, leading the league in runs scored (41) and ranking second in stolen bases (17).
Long Island’s trio of first teamers includes sophomore catcher Jessica DePippo (Westlake Village, CA/Agoura), senior first baseman Briana Mathiesen (Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy) and sophomore outfielder Randi Gillespie (San Jose, CA/West Valley CC). DePippo, who was second team all-NEC designated player in 2004 and last year’s NEC Rookie of the Year, is batting .319, including .452 in conference play, with two home runs, 14 RBI and 22 runs scored. On the defensive side, DePippo has a .993 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 142 chances, while throwing out 10 would-be base-stealers. Mathiesen collects her third all-conference award, following a second-team nod in 2002 and first team honors in 2004. The senior is batting .323 with a NEC-best 11 home runs and 27 RBI. Against NEC opponents, the Sylmar, CA product pounded a league-high eight home runs and batted .484. A first-time all-NEC selection, Gillespie paces the Blackbirds in batting average (.348), hits (48), runs scored (29), to go along with eight home runs (all came in NEC action) and 30 RBI. Gillespie also ranks sixth in the NEC in slugging-percentage (.569) and twice this season seized NEC Player of the Week acclaim.
Monmouth’s three first team all-NEC selections consist of junior third baseman Sue Micchelli (West Paterson, NJ/Passaic Valley), senior outfielder Kristin Wilson (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) and sophomore utility specialist Heather Gordon (Hatboro, PA/Mount St. Joseph’s). Micchelli is a first-time all-NEC selection, while Wilson and Gordon return for the third and second time, respectively. Micchelli had a breakout season for the Hawks, ranking in the top-10 in the NEC in several offensive categories including batting average (.399), on-base percentage (.461), runs scored (36), hits (63), RBI (29), total bases (86) and stolen bases (15). The junior was even better in NEC play, ranking third in league games in hitting (.484) and seventh in slugging-percentage (.738). Wilson attains her third postseason NEC award. The senior was a second team all-NEC utility player in 2002 and a first team outfielder last year. In 2005, Wilson, who led the NEC in batting much of the season, finished the season second at .423. The all-star ranks seventh in the NEC in slugging percentage (.569) and is tied for fourth in on-base percentage (.454) and runs scored (31). Gordon is again named the top utility player in the league, succeeding at the plate and on the rubber. The second-year standout batted .321 overall and ranked second in the NEC in both home runs (9) and RBI (35). As a pitcher, Gordon won 10 games, while saving two and posting a 3.81 ERA in 108 1/3 innings.
Wagner is represented by junior outfielder Christy Sykora (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) and sophomore hurler Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) on the all-NEC first team. Sykora, a first-time all-NEC selection, is having a career year for the Seahawks, ranking among the NEC leaders in batting average (.368), runs scored (34) and on base percentage (.441) She has 15 multi-hit games this season and has started all 44 games for Wagner in centerfield, recording four outfield assists. In just two seasons on Staten Island, Miller is a two-time first-team honoree. The Las Vegas product leads the NEC in wins (16-7) and ranks second in ERA (1.51). Miller struck out 81 batters in 148.0 innings, while holding opposing batters to a .238 average. In two seasons as a Seahawk, Miller has 25 wins with a combined 1.69 ERA.
Rounding out the first team is Fairleigh Dickinson designated player, sophomore Caitlyn Reuter (Richwood, NJ/Clearview Regional). The Knights’ lone all-star guided her team in slugging percentage (.504), RBI (23), home runs (6) and total bases (63), while finishing the season batting .304 with 23 runs scored. Reuter becomes the first FDU player to earn first team all-NEC honors since the Knights added softball in 2001.
Robert Morris and Wagner placed an NEC-high three players each on the all-NEC second team. The Colonial second teamers include senior first baseman Brandi Doerschner (Pittsburgh, PA/Carrick), junior third baseman Kali Byers (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) and junior pitcher Erica Riggle (Washington, PA/Chartiers-Houston). Doerschner returns as an all-conference selection following a first team nod at first base in 2003. This season, the senior is batting .357, including .400 in NEC play, with two home runs and 26 RBI. She has a .977 fielding percentage, converting 296 of 303 chances. Byers is now a three-time NEC all-star after hitting .358 with eight home runs and a league-best 48 RBI. The 2003 NEC Rookie of the Year, earned a second team spot in 2003 and became a first teamer in 2004. Riggle was the perfect complement to Cohen this season, winning nine games for the first-place Colonials. The first-time all-NEC honoree currently leads the NEC with 121 strikeouts, including a league-high 38 called third strikes.
The Wagner threesome is composed of sophomore outfielder Christina Hopkins (Edison, NJ/Edison), senior designated player Kim Bruckner (Carle Place, NY/Carle Place) and utility player Kate Refsnyder (Prospect Park, PA/Interboro). Hopkins makes her way onto the postseason awards list following a superb second season. The Edison, NJ product is batting .306, including .375 in conference play, with four home runs and 25 RBI. Bruckner is on the all-NEC squad for the third time, following a second-team nod in 2002 and a first-team selection last season. The senior has a .294 average with eight home runs and 35 runs-batted-in. Refsnyder waited a long time, but earns her first all-NEC selection as a senior. This season, Refsnyder is batting .284 with three home runs and 15 RBI, while posting a 6-5 record as a pitcher with a 2.12 ERA.
Central Connecticut State finished the 2005 season in fifth place in the NEC with a school-best 11-9 league mark. CCSU junior catcher Deb Munson (Windsor Locks, CT/Windsor Locks) and junior outfielder Kristin Kropp (Franklin, CT/Norwich Free Academy) helped spark the Blue Devils’ success. Munson earns her first NEC accolade after posting a .259 batting average with five home runs and 25 RBI. The Windsor Locks, CT native also threw out 13 base stealers. A first team all-NEC outfielder in 2004, Kropp batted .355 and finished sixth in the NEC with 14 stolen bases. In NEC play, Kropp hit .433 with a .550 slugging percentage and 10 stolen bases.
St. Francis (NY) senior second baseman Nicole Adisano (Brooklyn, NY/Edward R. Murrow) is the Terriers first all-conference selection since Alex Richardson in 2002. Adisano led her team in numerous offensive categories, including batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.393), runs scored (23), hits (48) and triples (2), while she also tied for fourth in the NEC in stolen bases (15).
Junior shortstop Krystal Mejia (Sylmar, CA/University of New Mexico), the 2004 NEC Player of the Year and 2004 NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, is the lone Long Island Blackbird on the second team. Mejia is currently batting .310 with six home runs and 26 RBI, and in the NEC, the junior ranks second in the league in batting average (.489) and on-base percentage (.549), while leading in slugging percentage (.978).
Sacred Heart senior Tiffanie Cross-Monzo (Thousand Oaks, CA/Cornerstone Christian) is an all-NEC second team outfielder for the first time after posting a .315 batting average with 11 doubles. She was even better in league play, hitting .328 and recording a .500 slugging percentage. The California product committed only two errors in 56 chances for a .964 fielding percentage.
Mount St. Mary’s pitcher Maria Lutz (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddon Township) rounds out the all-NEC second team. Lutz, who once was named NEC Pitcher of the Week this season, won seven games and ranked fourth in the NEC in ERA (2.39), while striking out 79 batters and walking just 20 in 135.0 innings.
The double-elimination 2005 Northeast Conference Softball Tournament will get underway on Friday, May 13 with the opening round game pitting #1 seed Robert Morris against #4 seed Quinnipiac at 9:00 am, followed by #2 seed Long Island versus #3 seed Wagner at 11:30 am. The championship game is slated for 12:30 pm on Saturday, May 14. All games will be played on the campus of Robert Morris University at Moon Township, PA. For game recaps and box scores, log onto the NEC official website at www.northeastconference.org.
2005 NEC Softball Major Award Winners
Player of the Year
Keri Meyer Robert Morris 2B Jr. Carnegie, PA/Canevin Catholic
Pitcher of the Year
Danielle Cohen Robert Morris P So. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee
Rookie of the Year
Katie Stevens Wagner SS Fr. Reno, NV/Wooster
Coach of the Year
Craig Coleman Robert Morris
2005 NEC Softball First Team All-Conference
Name School Pos Yr Hometown/Previous School
Jessica DePippo Long Island C So. Westlake Village, CA/Agoura
Briana Mathiesen Long Island 1B Sr. Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy
Keri Meyer Robert Morris 2B Jr. Carnegie, PA/Canevin Catholic
Sue Micchelli Monmouth 3B Jr. West Paterson, NJ/Passaic Valley
Jill Spargo Robert Morris SS So. Warren, PA/Warren Area
Randi Gillespie Long Island OF So. San Jose, CA/West Valley CC
Kristin Wilson Monmouth OF Sr. Belleville, NJ/Belleville
Christy Sykora Wagner OF Jr. Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg
Caitlyn Reuter FDU DP So. Richwood, NJ/Clearview Regional
Heather Gordon Monmouth UT So. Hatboro, PA/Mount St. Joseph’s
Danielle Cohen Robert Morris P So. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee
Morgan Miller Wagner P So. Las Vegas, NV/Silverado
2005 NEC Softball Second Team All-Conference
Name School Pos Yr Hometown/Previous School
Deb Munson Cent. Conn. St. C Jr. Windsor Locks, CT/Windsor Locks
Brandi Doerschner Robert Morris 1B Sr. Pittsburgh, PA/Carrick
Nicole Adisano St. Francis (NY)2B Sr. Brooklyn, NY/Edward R. Murrow
Kali Byers Robert Morris 3B Jr. Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge
Krystal Mejia Long Island SS Jr. Sylmar, CA/University of New Mexico
Kristin Kropp Cent. Conn. St. OF Jr. Franklin, CT/Norwich Free Academy
Tiffanie Cross-Monzo Sacred Heart OF Sr. Thousand Oaks, CA/Cornerstone Christian
Christina Hopkins Wagner OF So. Edison, NJ/Edison
Kim Bruckner Wagner DP Sr. Carle Place, NY/Carle Place
Kate Refsnyder Wagner UT Sr. Prospect Park, PA/Interboro
Maria Lutz Mt. St. Mary’s P Jr. Haddonfield, NJ/Haddon Township
Erica Riggle Robert Morris P Jr. Washington, PA/Chartiers-Houston