Weber, Apicella Earn Top ECC Yearly Honors; Seven Pioneers Named All-Conference
ECC All-Conference Teams
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (May 4, 2013) – Junior pitcher/designated player
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) was named the East Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year, and head coach
Jamie Apicella was voted Coach of the Year, the conference announced on Friday.
In all, seven Pioneers were voted All-Conference by the league's head coaches to tie with Molloy for the most representatives.
Weber shares this year's Player of the Year honors with Dowling's senior shortstop Stephanie Tarango. Weber put together a standout year both at the plate and in the circle for the Pioneers. Offensively, Weber smacked 62 hits (3rd in the ECC) in 148 at-bats to tie for a conference high .419 batting average. She also posted tremendous power numbers, hitting 12 doubles and 10 homeruns from the leadoff spot. Her pitching numbers were as good, if not better, than her stats at the plate. In 29 appearances (28 starts), Weber once again tied for a top mark in the ECC, this time with 22 wins. In 171.1 innings pitched, opposing hitters managed just a .237 batting average against and struck out 180 times. Weber also ranked third in the ECC with a 1.92 earned run average.
Jamie Apicella of LIU Post has been selected Coach of the Year by his peers. During the regular season, Apicella guided the Pioneers to a 44-11 overall record and a 25-3 mark in conference play to claim the top seed in the ECC Tournament. The Pioneers were the top-ranked team in the East Region and No. 14 in the National Fastpich Coaches Association's Division II Top 25 poll heading into post-season play.
Weber, along with sophomore catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) and junior center fielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) were named First Team All-Conference. Freshman third baseman
Kelsey McLaughlin (Lido Beach, N.Y.), junior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.), freshman designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.), and sophomore pitcher
Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) were recognized to the Second Team.
Molloy's
Megan Butterworth was voted Pitcher of the Year and St. Thomas Aquinas outfielder Samantha McDonald was tabbed Rookie of the Year.