2018 MAAC Softball All-MAAC Teams & Major Award Winners Announced
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the 2018 Softball All-MAAC Teams and Major Award Winners, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Caroline Baratta of Marist College was named the 2018 MAAC Rookie of the Year. The first-year Red Fox led the league in hits with 60, fourth in runs scored (36), fourth in total bases with 87, and was second on Marist in average at .321. Barratta led Marist in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, and was second on the team, slugging percentage, and total bases. The New Jersey native was also a three-time Rookie of the Week. The 2018 Rookie of the Year, Caroline Baratta.
The 2018 MAAC Player of the Year was Courtney Hankins of Fairfield University. Hankins ended the regular season hitting .402 and leading the league in on-base percentage at .524. The .524 on-base put the junior 20th in Division I. Hankins was also fourth in the league slugging percentage at .630. In league play Hankins hit .491, which led the league, led in on-base percentage at .595, in slugging at .818, and tied for the league lead with 45 total bases. The 2018 MAAC Player of the Year, Courtney Hankins.
Monmouth’s Amanda Riley took home the 2018 MAAC Pitcher of the Year honor. The senior posted an 18-4 overall record and finished MAAC regular season play with an 11-0 record, a 0.66 ERA, and 99 strikeouts. Overall, the California native led the MAAC strikeouts with 186 this season and batting average against (.194). Riley was inside the Top 50 nationally in saves, strikeouts, strikes per seven innings, and wins. The 2018 MAAC Pitcher of the Year, Amanda Riley.
The 2018 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year was Brittany Colombo of Marist College. The senior committed only five errors this season, recorded 110 assists and 50 putouts. The third-baseman also assisted on seven double plays. Colombo was second in the MAAC during league play in assists and third overall this season. She was one of four players to record 100-plus assists. The MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Brittany Colombo.
Shannon Salsburg of Monmouth University is the 2018 BSN MAAC Coach of the Year. In her third year at the helm, Salsburg led the Hawks to a 19-1 MAAC record and the regular season title—the first for the Hawks a member of the MAAC. The Hawks enter the MAAC Championship 21-1 in their last 22 games. Salsburg coached seven players to All-MAAC honors in 2018. It is the first MAAC Coach of the Year honor for Salsburg. The 2018 MAAC Coach of the Year, Shannon Salsburg of Monmouth.
The 12-member First Team All-MAAC was led by a trio of unanimous selections; Courtney Hankins of Fairfield and Madysen Cossack of Siena College on the infield and Briana Matazinsky from Manhattan College at utility. Caroline Baratta (Marist) and Amber Wozniak (Monmouth) round out the first-team infield. Marist’s Ali Milam, Erin Larsen of Quinnipiac, and Toni Nino from Rider make up the outfield. Katie Baron of Monmouth was named First Team at Designated Player. The two pitchers on the first team were Amanda Riley of Monmouth and Casey Herzog of Quinnipiac.
Tori Danner of Iona College and Claire Oberdorf from Marist were Second Team All-MAAC behind the plate. Fairfield’s Mikayla Rubin, Iona’s Jasmine Temple, Manhattan’s Lauren Pitney, and Monmouth’s Kayla Rosado and Sam Tomasetti comprised the infield. Shannon Puthe from Manhattan, Chloe Howerth from Monmouth, and Quinnipiac’s Keilani Finley are the outfield. Eylse Cuttic from Rider made Second Team at designated player. Destinee Pallotto of Fairfield and Iona’s Marnie Skinner are the pitchers on the second team.
Daniela Chiorazzi from Manhattan, Payton Romines of Rider and Baratta were unanimous choices to the All-Rookie Team. Fairfield was represented by the trio of Mikayla Rubin, Lauryn Rhinehart and Drew Westford. Canisius had Kara Paradowski make the all-rookie team. Niagara’s Kelsey Harrigan, Brighid Douglas from Quinnipiac, Theamaris Ramierz of Saint Peter’s, and Isabelle DeChiaro of Siena made up the All-Rookie Team.
The 2018 MAAC Championship continues on Thursday with four games—two being elimination. The first game starts at 9 a.m. All the action can be watched on MAAC.TV.
For more information on the 2018 MAAC Softball Championship, fans can visit
maacsports.com/softball. Tickets for the 2018 MAAC Softball Championship can be purchased at
maac.ticketleap.com and on-site during the event.
| Major Award Winners |
| Rookie of the Year |
Caroline Baratta |
Marist |
| Player of the Year |
Courtney Hankins |
Fairfield |
| Pitcher of the Year |
Amanda Riley |
Monmouth |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Brittany Colombo |
Marist |
| Coach of the Year |
Shannon Salburg |
Monmouth |
| First Team All-MAAC |
| Catcher |
Alex Holzman |
Monmouth |
| Infield |
Courtney Hankins* |
Fairfield |
| Infield |
Caroline Baratta |
Marist |
| Infield |
Amber Wozniak |
Monmouth |
| Infield |
Madysen Cossack* |
Siena |
| Outfield |
Ali Milam |
Marist |
| Outfield |
Erin Larsen |
Quinnipiac |
| Outfield |
Toni Nino |
Rider |
| Designated Player |
Katie Baron |
Monmouth |
| Utility |
Briana Matazinsky* |
Manhattan |
| Pitcher |
Amanda Riley |
Monmouth |
| Pitcher |
Casey Herzog |
Quinnipiac |
| Second Team All-MAAC |
| Catcher |
Tori Danner |
Iona |
| Catcher |
Claire Oberdorf |
Marist |
| Infield |
Mikayla Rubin |
Fairfield |
| Infield |
Jasmine Temple |
Iona |
| Infield |
Lauren Pitney |
Manhattan |
| Infield |
Kayla Rosado |
Monmouth |
| Infield |
Sam Tomasetti |
Monmouth |
| Outfield |
Shannon Puthe |
Manhattan |
| Outfield |
Chloe Howerth |
Monmouth |
| Outfield |
Keilani Finley |
Quinnipiac |
| Designated Player |
Elyse Cuttic |
Rider |
| Pitcher |
Destinee Pallotto |
Fairfield |
| Pitcher |
Marnie Skinner |
Iona |
| All-Rookie Team |
| Kara Paradowski |
Canisius |
| Lauryn Rhinehart |
Fairfield |
| Mikayla Rubin |
Fairfield |
| Drew Westford |
Fairfield |
| Daniela Chiorazzi* |
Manhattan |
| Caroline Baratta* |
Marist |
| Kelsey Harrigan |
Niagara |
| Brighid Douglas |
Quinnipiac |
| Payton Romines* |
Rider |
| Theamaris Ramirez |
Saint Peter’s |
| Isabelle DeChiaro |
Siena |
*-Unanimous selection
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.