BUFFALO, NY (May 11, 2022) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the 2022 Softball All-MAAC Teams and Major Award winners, as voted by the league’s 11 coaches.
The 2022 MAAC Softball Player of the Year is Erin Hufford from Canisius College. The graduate student from Cheektowaga, NY led the MAAC batting .399 and slashed .399/.452/.469. She recorded 57 hits, scored 32 runs, and led a potent Canisius base stealing attack with 29 stolen bases. Hufford also tallied seven XBH and 13 RBI.
Megan Giese of Canisius College was named the unanimous 2022 MAAC Softball Pitcher of the Year. Giese led the MAAC with a 1.67 ERA with a 11-8 record. Giese threw 14 complete games, tallied five saves, recorded 129.2 innings, and struck out 158 batters while only walking 25 batters all season. Giese also became the first Canisius pitcher to twirl two no-hitters in the same season since 2004.
The back-to-back MAAC Defensive Player of the Year is Caroline Baratta from Marist College. The graduate student from Gladstone, NJ made just six errors on 174 chances playing shortstop every day for the Red Foxes. Baratta had 108 assists, 60 putouts, spun 10 double plays to a .966 fielding percentage. The shortstop was not only great in the field, but also hit a MAAC-leading 10 home runs.
Three players were named Co-Rookies of the Year in 2022: Saige Alfaro of Canisius College, Charli Warren of Fairfield University, and Maddie Pleasants of Marist College.
Alfaro ranked second in the conference hitting .382 and tallied 50 hits, 27 runs, 18 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
Warren hit .347 with 41 hits, 26 runs, 14 RBI and stole 18 bases on 20 tries.
Pleasants, a two-way player threw 116 innings in 2022 and struck out 82 batters. At the plate, she hit .360 with four home runs and 21 RBI, while only striking out once all season.
The 2022 MAAC Softball Coach of the Year is Saint Peter’s University Head Coach Chris Stelma who led the Peacocks to a 20-win improvement from one season ago. Saint Peter’s went 22-33 overall with a 7-13 record in conference. The Peacocks ranked sixth in the conference in batting average (.251) and held the second-highest fielding percentage (.968).
See below for the full list of honorees:
| 2022 MAAC Softball Major Awards |
| Player of the Year |
Erin Hufford, Canisius |
| Pitcher of the Year |
Megan Giese, Canisius* |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Caroline Baratta, Marist |
| Coach of the Year |
Chris Stelma, Saint Peter’s |
| Co-Rookie of the Year |
Saige Alfaro, Canisius |
| Co-Rookie of the Year |
Charli Warren, Fairfield |
| Co-Rookie of the Year |
Maddie Pleasants, Marist |
| 2022 All-MAAC Softball First Team |
| Catcher |
Gianna Fazzolari, Canisius |
| Infield |
Saige Alfaro, Canisius |
| Infield |
Caroline Baratta, Marist |
| Infield |
Miah McDonald, Marist |
| Infield |
Grace Stansfield, Rider |
| Outfield |
Jess Chilcott, Iona |
| Outfield |
Erin Hufford, Canisius |
| Outfield |
Charli Warren, Fairfield |
| Pitcher |
Megan Giese, Canisius* |
| Pitcher |
Kara Zazzaro, Iona |
| Utility |
Jessie Niegocki, Rider |
| Designated Player |
Annie Moore, Manhattan* |
| 2022 All-MAAC Softball Second Team |
| Catcher |
Jamie Sheeran, Iona |
| Infield |
Emma Capuano, Iona |
| Infield |
Alyssa Grupp, Marist |
| Infield |
Cara McNulty, Saint Peter’s |
| Infield |
Lauren Rende, Manhattan |
| Outfield |
Isabella Pardo, Siena |
| Outfield |
Haley Updegraff, Fairfield |
| Outfield |
Shea Walsh, Marist |
| Pitcher |
Katie Kudlacik, Fairfield |
| Pitcher |
Calista Phippen, Marist |
| Utility |
Ava Fitzmaurice, Siena |
| Designated Player |
Kyleigh Potter, Siena |
| 2022 MAAC Softball All-Rookie Team |
| Saige Alfaro |
Canisius |
| Rosie Gomez |
Canisius |
| Brooke Hilliard |
Quinnipiac |
| Sydney Horan |
Quinnipiac |
| Billie Kerwood |
Monmouth |
| Maddy Lowry |
Iona |
| Ava Metzger |
Manhattan |
| Dakota Pitts |
Saint Peter’s |
| Maddie Pleasants* |
Marist |
| Kyleigh Potter |
Siena |
| Adriana Romano |
Siena |
| Charli Warren* |
Fairfield |
*Denotes 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 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 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.
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