MAAC Announces 2019 Softball Major Awards
Poughkeepsie, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the 2019 Softball All-MAAC and Major Award winners, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
The 2019 MAAC Softball Player of the Year is Madysen Cossack of Siena College. Cossack batted a conference leading .457 over the season, knocking nine out of the park. The senior first baseman also led the league in runs batted in (RBI) with 44, averaging one per game, and slugging percentage at .767. Cossack scored 24 runs with 59 hits, 13 doubles, and 30 walks. A native of Agoura Hills, California, Cossack led the Saints to a 13-7 conference record and the No. 3 seed in the 2019 MAAC Softball Championship.
The 2019 MAAC Softball Pitcher of the Year is Alyssa Irons of Monmouth University. Irons produced more wins than any other pitcher in the MAAC at 27, nine more than anybody else. A sophomore, Irons was also the only pitcher to eclipse the 200 innings pitched mark, hurling a total of 238.1 innings throughout the season. The Hawks pitcher ranked first in the MAAC with 215 strikeouts and third with a 1.41 earned run average (ERA), allowing 155 hits and 60 runs through 39 appearances. From Rock Creek, Ohio, Irons will look to lead Monmouth to the team’s second-straight MAAC title as the No. 2 seed in this year’s MAAC Softball Championship.
The 2019 MAAC Softball Defensive Player of the Year is Lauren Pitney of Manhattan College. Pitney had a total of 93 putouts on the season, assisting on 13 double plays. Recording only six errors throughout the year, the reliable infielder recorded a fielding percentage of .967. A senior from Ansonia, Connecticut, Pitney added 82 assists throughout the season for the Jaspers.
The 2019 MAAC Softball Co-Rookies of the Year are Calista Phippen of Marist College and Lindsey Baron of Monmouth.
Phippen pitched to an impressive 1.38 ERA over the season, the second lowest in the MAAC. The rookie collected 18 wins in her first campaign for the Red Foxes, only taking four losses. In 28 appearances, Phippen pitched through 147.0 innings, only allowing 104 hits and 35 runs. The Red Fox ranked second in the MAAC in strikeouts with 175, 48 of which came from batters going down looking. From Kinderhook, New York, Phippen pitched 12 complete games, guiding Marist to the No. 1 overall seed and allowing the Red Foxes to host the 2019 MAAC Softball Championship.
Baron was an offensive threat in her first year for the Hawks. The freshman batted .361 with a .748 slugging percentage, good enough for second in the MAAC. Baron led the league in runs scored with 48, doubles with 21, home runs with 11, and total bases with 116. The rookie’s best day came on April 10 against Columbia, where she had three RBI on four hits, crossing the plate three times in the contest. A New Jersey native, Baron will be a great offensive asset for the No. 2 seeded Hawks in the 2019 MAAC Softball Championship.
The 2019 BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year is Joe Ausanio of Marist. Ausanio collects his third MAAC Coach of the Year honor in his 11
th season at the helm of the Red Foxes. Marist posted a seven-win improvement in conference games this season after finishing last season at 9-11. This season’s 16-4 record in the MAAC also marks the best Marist regular season finish since 2016, where the Red Foxes won the MAAC Championship. Under Ausanio’s guidance, Marist has not missed the MAAC Championship since 2015 and will enter this year’s championship as the top seed and host.
The All-MAAC First Team is comprised of student-athletes from Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Niagara University, and Siena.
| First Team All-MAAC |
| Position |
Player |
Institution |
| Catcher |
Erika Coreth |
Monmouth |
| Infield |
Lauren Pitney |
Manhattan |
| Infield |
Caroline Baratta |
Marist |
| Infield |
Kayla Rosado |
Monmouth |
| Infield |
Madysen Cossack |
Siena *** |
| Outfield |
Erin Hufford |
Canisius |
| Outfield |
Amanda Ulzheimer |
Fairfield |
| Outfield |
Ali Milam |
Marist |
| Outfield |
Lindsey Baron |
Monmouth |
| Designated Player |
Annie Moore |
Manhattan |
| Designated Player |
Jerri Ann Orfano |
Niagara |
| Utility |
Lauryn Rhinehart |
Fairfield |
| Utility |
Jessica Chilcott |
Iona |
| Pitcher |
Calista Phippen |
Marist |
| Pitcher |
Alyssa Irons |
Monmouth *** |
*** Denotes a unanimous selection
The All-MAAC Second Team is comprised of student-athletes from Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Marist, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, Rider University, and Siena.
| Second Team All-MAAC |
| Position |
Player |
Institution |
| Catcher |
Kaley Coltrain |
Marist |
| Infield |
Mikayla Rubin |
Fairfield |
| Infield |
Brandi Coon |
Marist |
| Infield |
Claire Oberdorf |
Marist |
| Infield |
Amber Wozniak |
Monmouth |
| Outfield |
Kara Paradowski |
Canisius |
| Outfield |
Marisa Gergel |
Iona |
| Outfield |
Erin Larsen |
Quinnipiac |
| Outfield |
Isabelle DeChiaro |
Siena |
| Designated Player |
Ciarra Diguilio |
Iona |
| Utility |
Kelsey Marigliano |
Rider |
| Pitcher |
Kara Zazzaro |
Iona |
| Pitcher |
Maddie McMahon |
Siena |
*** Denotes a unanimous selection
The MAAC All-Rookie Team is comprised of student-athletes from Fairfield, Iona, Marist, Manhattan, Monmouth, and Quinnipiac.
| All-Rookie Team |
| Player |
Institution |
| Katie Kudlacik |
Fairfield |
| Jessica Chilcott |
Iona |
| Kara Zazzaro |
Iona |
| Annie Moore |
Manhattan |
| Jessi Rising |
Manhattan |
| Kaley Coltrain |
Marist |
| Calista Phippen |
Marist *** |
| Lindsey Baron |
Monmouth *** |
| Alexis Otero |
Quinnipiac |
| Lauren King |
Quinnipiac |
*** Denotes a unanimous selection
The 2019 MAAC Softball Championship takes place May 8-11 and is hosted by top seeded Marist. For more information on the 2019 Softball Championship, visit
maacsports.com/softball. Championship tickets can be purchased at
maacsports.com/tickets and will also be sold on-site during the championship.
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 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 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.