Five Softball Players Earn NECC Honors
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Five members of the Mitchell College softball program were recognized by the New England Collegiate Conference on Monday—two of which took top honors—as the league announced its annual awards.
Sophomore Brittany Fiederlein was named NECC Pitcher of the Year while freshman Samantha DelConte was selected as NECC Rookie of the Year. The duo was joined on the all-conference first team by juniors Shannon O'Neil and Rivkah Berkman while senior Dylan Riccardi earned a spot on the second team. All awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Fiederlein is the first Mitchell player to win the league's top pitching prize. In conference play she made 17 appearances and posted a 14-1 record with a 0.71 ERA. She led the NECC in nearly every statistical category including wins, ERA, strikeouts (104) and inning pitched (98.0), and her 14 victories tied for the most in conference history.
An all-conference second team selection last year, Fiederlein went 15-9 on the season with a 1.65 ERA and finished with seven shutouts while combining for another. Her 158 strikeouts rank as the most in a single season in the program's Division III history, as did her win total, ERA and shutouts.
DelConte, a catcher, is the second Mitchell player to take home Rookie of the Year honors, as teammate Lindsey Romagnino earned the distinction in 2012. She started all 18 NECC contests and batted .483 with seven doubles, two triples and a home run, and she scored 19 runs and drove in 12 while hitting out of the leadoff spot. She was also rock solid behind the plate and didn't commit an error in 131 total chances.
DelConte started and played in all 32 games during the season and hit .374 with 22 runs scored and 14 RBI. She was a three-time NECC Rookie of the Week pick during the regular season and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team this past weekend at the NECC Championship.
O'Neil is the first Mitchell player to repeat as an all-conference first team selection, having also earned the honor last season. She batted .509 in league play—the second highest average in the NECC—and ranked among the league leaders in total hits (27), doubles (7), walks (13), on-base percentage (.597) and slugging (.698). The first baseman started in all 32 games and batted a team- and career-high .423 with 11 doubles, two homers, 20 RBI and 21 runs scored.
Berkman received all-conference recognition for the first time in her career. Mitchell's second baseman batted .361 in conference play with seven runs scored and one RBI. She started and played in 24 games during the season and hit .279 with nine runs scored and three RBI.
Riccardi, a four-year starter at third base, also earned NECC honors for the first time in her career. In league play she batted .328 and scored 19 runs while driving in 11. She also started all 32 games and hit .287 with five doubles, one triple, 13 RBI and a team-high 24 runs scored.
The Mariners finished the season with an overall record of 17-15 under first-year head coach Allison Wigand. Mitchell posted a 16-2 record in NECC play en route to its first regular season title in the seven-year history of the league.
