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Somerset, NJ -- It was a one-two punch for 2022 Northeast Conference regular season champion Saint Francis U, with the league’s most dangerous hitter and one of the most dominant hurlers in the circuit claiming major awards following impressive regular-season campaigns.
The Red Flash roster boasts both the Player of the Year and the Pitcher of the Year, as graduate third baseman Mekenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills) and junior pitcher Rachel Marsden (Erie, PA/McDowell) respectively earned the distinctions by the league’s head coaches.
Fairleigh Dickinson also got in on a big share of the major awards, hauling in a pair of honors.
Jess DeWitt (San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry), a second baseman, capped off a sensational freshman campaign with her selection as the NEC Rookie of the Year. Quickly making a name for herself as one of the league’s top sluggers, DeWitt and the Knights enter this week’s NEC Softball Championship led by the Coaching Staff of the Year. Flanked by assistants Ally Vergona, Ray Vander May and volunteer Carl Taylor, head coach Chris Foye shared this honor after piloting Fairleigh Dickinson back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Sacred Heart sophomore shortstop Grace Saad (Ventura, CA/Buena), who regularly etched her name on the weekly NEC Prime Performer list, won the conference’s Most Improved Player honor, while Bryant senior shortstop Toni Camarillo (Corona, CA/Norco) flashed some serious leather to take home the Golden Glove Award.
Now a two-time All-NEC first team member, Saban slugged her way to the top of nearly every offensive statistical category in 2022. The Pittsburgh, PA native leads the NEC by a whopping 39 percentage points with a .433 batting average, a mark that ranks 16th nationally. With 20 multi-hit outings, she has wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers with a .675 slugging percentage and a league-best .500 on-base percentage. Saban, who also leads the circuit in runs (41), has been a machine at the dish this season with 28 of her league-best 68 hits going for extra bases. Her 22 two-baggers are the second-most in NCAA Division I, while her 0.44 doubles per game are good for third in the nation. Saban’s numbers were even more impressive against conference rivals, as she sported a .457 average for a Red Flash squad that batted a conference-high .331 during that 24-game stretch. The two-time NEC Pitcher of the Week honoree is the third player from Saint Francis U to garner NEC Player of the Year accolades as she joins Cheyenne McKee (2018) and Taylor Parsons (2015).
Racking up a league-best four NEC Pitcher of the Week awards, Marsden sits at the top of the leaderboard in wins with a 20-8 record. Earning a spot on the All-NEC first team for the second straight season as a pitcher, she tossed a league-high seven shutouts and is first in the circuit in innings pitched (173.2), fourth in strikeouts (140) and fifth in ERA (2.30). The hurler showed her versatility for the Red Flash as well, as she hit .391 and slugged a NEC-best .797 against conference rivals to rank in the top-five in runs (19), RBI (20) and total bases (55). Launching 12 homers as a designated player, she earned herself a spot on the second team as well. With Marsden’s appointment as top hurler, Saint Francis U has dominated the Pitcher of the Year award as of late. She is the second Red Flash pitcher to earn this award in as many years, joining current teammate Grace Vesco (Uniontown, OH/North Canton Hoover). In the last five years, four Saint Francis U pitchers have hauled in this award.
Combining for five NEC weekly honors — including four Rookie of the Week awards — DeWitt made her presence known early on the NEC softball circuit. She claimed two of the first three Rookie of the Week honors of the season to begin her career and never looked back. DeWitt wrapped up the regular season with a .675 slugging percentage and a .370 average to rank third and fourth on the circuit, respectively. She also finished among the league’s top five in runs (33), hits (57), RBI (32), doubles (12), home runs (10) and total bases (99). Fairleigh Dickinson’s first-ever NEC Rookie of the Year and the second player in program history to garner a major award, DeWitt is one of three freshmen to also land on the NEC’s all-rookie team and the first team.
Bryant reeled in the program’s first-ever Golden Glove Award winner in Camarillo. She is the second Bulldog to garner a major award from the NEC, joining Elle Madsen, who garnered Player of the Year honors in 2014. In addition to producing several NEC9 highlight-reel worthy snags at shortstop, the senior from Corona, CA was a part of 11 double plays in the middle infield and was ninth in the league in assists with 78. Cararillo committed just three miscues in 145 total chances for a .979 fielding percentage.
Saad’s big-time jump in productivity at the plate was rewarded with the Most Improved Player accolade. She raised her average from .167 in her rookie season in 2021 to a sizzling .345 this year, a figure that is tops on the team and ranks 10th in the NEC. The short stop made starts in 48 games this season and led the team with 49 hits, 23 runs, eight doubles and two triples, while her 26 RBI and seven long balls were second on the squad.
With Foye at the helm, Fairleigh Dickinson enjoyed a major turnaround in 2022. The Knights went from seventh place and out of postseason contention in 2021 to third in the standings in 2022 after a 13-win improvement that featured the most conference victories (14) and the best winning percentage against league opponents in program history (.583). Foye brings Fairleigh Dickinson back to the NEC Championship for the first time in seven years in impressive fashion, as the Knights enter the postseason with the best playoff positioning in program history as the No. 3 seed. Fairleigh Dickinson’s first Coach of the Year honoree, he looks to bring the first-ever NEC Softball Championship back to Teaneck this weekend.
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
The 2022 NEC Regular-Season Champion Saint Francis U sported a league-best five first team All-NEC honorees and six total all-conference team selections. Fairleigh Dickinson also landed six all-conference picks, including four on the first team, while while LIU followed with two players on the first team and three on the second team.
Saint Francis U’s pitching staff, which led the circuit and ranked No. 23 in the nation with a combined ERA of 2.16, packed a one-two punch with Marsden and fellow ace Vesco at the top of the rotation. The 2021 Pitcher of the Year tossed a pair of no-hitters during her junior campaign and was tied for second in the league with 13 wins. Vesco was a three-time NEC Pitcher of the Week honoree.
Marsden, Vesco and Saban are three of five repeat All-NEC first team honorees. That list is flooded with Saint Francis U players, as graduate outfielder Jordan Frank (Dubois, PA/Dubois Central Catholic) is also a back-to-back member of the first team. Rounding out that list is Sacred Heart senior catcher Alyssa Gonzalez (Beaumont, CA/Beaumont), who went off for a league-best 12 home runs in 2022.
First baseman Olivia Ulam (Monroe, WA/Monroe), an all-rookie team performer, rounded out Saint Francis U’s first team members. In 50 starts, she sported a .298 average with 25 runs scored, 24 RBI, seven doubles, one triple and four homers. She was a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week selectino this year.
Regular-season runner-up Mount St. Mary’s took home three all-conference laurels, highlighted by graduate pitcher Amanda Berkley (Olney, MD/Sherwood) and sophomore outfielder Abigayle Perry (Brunswick, MD/Brunswick) landing on the league’s top team. Berkley topped the NEC circut with a 2.04 ERA after allowing just 26 runs in 120.1 innings of action. She was virutally unhittable during the conference slate, posting a 1.32 ERA for a Mount St. Mary’s pitching staff that combined for a league-best 1.75 ERA. Sophomore second baseman Brigette Gilliano (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional), who has been a terror on the basepaths with 39 stolen bases in 40 attempts, earned second team status for the second time in her career for the Mount. The Garden State native enters the postseason needing two more swiped bags to match the NEC single-season record, which was set by Nicole Alvarez of Mount St. Mary’s in 2007.
LIU senior Camryn Lyman (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills), a second baseman, moved up from the second team in 2021 to the first team in 2022. She posted a team-best .377 batting average — the third-best clip in the conference — to lead the Sharks to a 13-11 record in NEC play and the program’s fourth straight NEC Championship appearance. It marked the second time that the All-NEC first team featured an at-large selection, as both Lyman and DeWitt were honored for their all-star seasons at second base.
Lyman was joined on the first team by fellow Shark Ryleigh Bermea (Saugus, CA/Saugus), a graduate outfielder who ranked among the top-10 in batting average (.340), slugging percentage (.503), on-base percentage (.424), RBI (33), doubles (12) and total bases (74).
The future looks bright for Fairleigh Dickinson, which saw each of its three all-rookie team honorees earn all-conference distinction as well. Joining DeWitt on the first team was Andreya Flores (Orange, CA/Villa Park), who occupied two spots after being honored for her MVP level season at both the designated player and utility spots. Freshman back stop Sabrina Javorsky (Ladera Ranch, CA/San Jan Hills) was named to the second team.
Junior shortstop Cassidy Triska (Murrieta, CA/Vista Murrieta) and senior hurler Alayna Savaglio (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley (Flagler)) also earned All-NEC status for Fairleigh Dickinson after being named to the first and second teams, respectively. Triska scored 40 runs and drove in a league-best 35, while Savaglio, a two-time second team member, earned the conference’s strikeout title after fanning 183 batters, 32 more than the next competitor in the stats.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s six all-league selections are the most in program history.
Merrimack’s youthful roster also shows great promise for the future. The Warriors matched FDU’s all-rookie team total with three honorees: catcher Nicole Basil (North Hampton, NH/Winnacunnet), designated player/outfielder Ellen Hubbard (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/Palos Verdes) and Sofia Palyan (Morgantown, PA/Twin Valley).
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 41st season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions in 2022-23 will include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.
2022 Northeast Conference Softball Award Winners
Player of the Year
Mekenzie Saban Saint Francis U 3B Gr. L/R Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills
Pitcher of the Year
Rachel Marsden Saint Francis U P Jr. R/R Erie, PA/McDowell
Golden Glove Award
Toni Camarillo Bryant SS Sr. L/R Corona, CA/Norco
Rookie of the Year
Jess DeWitt FDU 2B Fr. R/R. San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry
Most Improved Player
Grace Saad Sacred Heart SS So. R/R Ventura, CA/Buena
Coaching Staff of the Year
Chris Foye, Ally Vergona, FDU
Ray Vander May & Carl Taylor
2022 Northeast Conference Softball First Team All-Conference
Name School Pos Yr B/T Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Amanda Berkley Mount St. Mary’s P Gr. R/R Olney, MD/Sherwood
Rachel Marsden Saint Francis U P Jr. R/R Erie, PA/McDowell
Grace Vesco Saint Francis U P Jr. R/R Uniontown, OH/North Canton Hoover
Alyssa Gonzalez Sacred Heart C Sr. R/R Beaumont, CA/Beaumont
Olivia Ulam Saint Francis U 1B Fr. R/R Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillan
Jess DeWitt FDU 2B Fr. R/R San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry
Camryn Lyman LIU 2B Sr. L/R Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills
Mekenzie Saban Saint Francis U 3B Gr. L/R Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills
Cassidy Triska FDU SS Jr. R/R Murrieta, CA/Vista Murrieta
Ryleigh Bermea LIU OF Gr. R/R Saugus, CA/Saugus
Jordan Frank Saint Francis U OF Gr. R/R Dubois, PA/Dubois Central Catholic
Abigayle Perry Mount St. Mary’s OF So. R/R Brunswick, MD/Brunswick
Andreya Flores FDU DP Fr. R/R Orange, CA/Villa Park
Andreya Flores FDU UT Fr. R/R Orange, CA/Villa Park
2022 Northeast Conference Softball Second Team All-Conference
Name School Pos Yr B/T Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Kylie Kenney Bryant P Jr. R/R Jamison, PA/Central Bucks South
Alayna Savaglio FDU P Sr. L/L Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley (Flagler)
Sabrina Javorsky FDU C Fr. R/R Ladera Ranch, CA/San Juan Hills
Ciara Granado LIU 1B Gr. R/R West Covina, CA/South Hills
Bridgette Gilliano Mount St. Mary’s 2B So. R/R Buena, NJ/Buena Regional
Jenna Mowad Sacred Heart 3B So. R/R Prospect, CT/Holy Cross
Kiana Cisneros LIU SS Gr. L/R Santa Margarita, CA/Tesoro
Kristen Blanchard LIU OF Sr. R/R Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic
Amy Petrovich Sacred Heart OF Gr. R/R East Hanover, NJ/Hanover
Bianca Worthy Wagner OF Jr. L/R Goodyear, AZ/Verrado
Rachel Marsden Saint Francis U DP Jr. R/R Erie, PA/McDowell
Nora Conway Wagner UT Sr. L/R Chicago, IL/Loyola Academy (Caldwell)
2022 Northeast Conference Softball All-Rookie Team
Name School Pos Yr B/T Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Nicole Basil Merrimack C Fr. -- North Hampton, NH/Winnacunnet
Jess DeWitt FDU 2B Fr. R/R San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry
Andreya Flores FDU DP/UT Fr. R/R Orange, CA/Villa Park
Ellen Hubbard Merrimack DP/OF Fr. -- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/Palos Verdes
Sabrina Javorsky FDU C Fr. R/R Ladera Ranch, CA/San Juan Hills
Olivia Murphy Mount St. Mary’s P Fr. R/R Halifax, PA/Bishop McDevitt
Sofia Palyan Merrimack 3B/P Fr. -- Morgantown, PA/Twin Valley
Desiree Smith LIU P Fr. R/R Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley
Olivia Ulam Saint Francis U 1B Fr. R/R Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillan
Kate Wolf Wagner INF Fr. R/R Elk Grove Village, CA/Elk Grove