Setterlund, Hardy, Rychcik Garner AE Year-End Awards
May 12, 2010 | Softball
May 12, 2010
America East All-Conference Teams (pdf)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Following a historic season where she broke five school records and is on pace to break even more this weekend, junior April Setterlund has been chosen as a unanimous selection for the America East's Player of the Year. Just one week after throwing her first career perfect game, senior Cassidi Hardy was also a unanimous choice for Pitcher of the Year and head coach Shawn Rychcik was unanimously voted the Coach of the Year. The league made the announcements on Wednesday afternoon.
The three year-end awards are the most earned by the Terriers since their 2007 season when they swept all the major conference honors. Setterlund and Hardy received the team's third Player of the Year and second Pitcher of the Year award, respectively, under head coach Shawn Rychcik, who is now a two-time Coach of the Year.
The regular-season champions also had two All-Conference First Team honorees (Hardy, Setterlund), while seniors Rachel Hebert and Rachel Moeller along with sophomore Emily Roesch were selected to the All-Conference Second Team. Freshmen Whitney Tuthill and Taylor Cowan were named to the All-Rookie Team.
Setterlund, a three-time AE All-Conference First Team honoree, continues to make a name for herself on a national level and has batted above .500 for the entire season. As of May 12, she ranked in the nation's top 10 in four categories: batting average (3rd, .517), slugging percentage (5th, .945), on-base percentage (3rd, .607) and runs per game (7th, 1.18). She has safely reached base in 47-of-50 games this season and set an NCAA record for consecutive hits when she went 13-for-13, which spanned five games at the end of March. She has broken single-season school records for hits (75), doubles (18), RBI (51), runs (59) and as a junior already holds the program record for career doubles (45).
Hardy hurled her first career perfect game in an 8-0 five-inning win over Hartford last weekend. It was her fifth no-hitter, setting a program career record and marking the program's seventh overall perfect game. She becomes the fourth-ever Terrier to pitch a perfect game and the first since Robyn King ('01) recorded one in 2000. In her final season, Hardy has been unstoppable, striking out a career-high 217 batters, which ranks 26th nationally and second in the America East. She has compiled an astounding 5.7-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio, ranking second among league leaders with 217 punchouts and walking just 38.
Sixth-year head coach Shawn Rychcik earns his second Coach of the Year honor in 2010. Rychcik led the Terriers to their sixth regular season title in program history despite a depleted Terrier side that battled injuries all season long. With players playing in new positions this season, Rychcik guided the team to one of its best seasons in recent history. Already, the team has amassed 31 wins and has broken offensive runs (299) and is one its way to surpassing the program record for hits, doubles, batting average and RBIs. The Terriers, who lost five starters off last season's championship squad, feature one of the top lineups in the country, ranking 20th in runs per game (5.98) and 39th in team average (.298).
Hebert, the 2006 AE Rookie of the Year, has been known for her hitting prowess since her rookie season and has gone on to because one of the program's all-time leaders in hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs. She is tied for third all-time with 31 career doubles and is third in career home runs with 26. This season she is batting .295 with 10 home runs, five doubles and 34 RBIs. Batting at the top of the order, she has connected on 49 hits already this season, which is a career high.
Moeller is having a career year in 2010 at the plate, as she is currently batting a career-high .316 with 33 runs, 48 hits, nine doubles and 36 RBIs. She has swiped five bags this season and owns a .480 slugging percentage. After spending her first three years in the outfield, this senior leader has shown her versatility by moving to the infield, where she has anchored all 50 games at third base and has now picked up her first year-end honor from the America East.
After missing the beginning of the season due to injury, Roesch returned to the line up in late March and has been a vital part of the team's infield and offense. She has batted .304 over 30 games with 11 doubles, four home runs - including a walk-off grand slam - and 23 RBIs. The 2009 Rookie of the Year, most recently Roesch was named the Player of the Week by the conference after batting .833 over two games with five hits in the regular season finale vs. Hartford.
Tuthill has made a splash in her rookie campaign with the Terriers. A walk-on at the beginning of the season, Tuthill has been a threat both in the batter's box and in the pitcher's circle. As a hurler, Tuthill has become part of the regular rotation with Hardy, already throwing a no-hitter and shutting out six opponents. She has amassed 11 wins with 59 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .256 BA. On the offensive end, she is swinging at a clip of .290 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. Recently, she was named the Rookie of the Week after tying a program record with two homers and driving in six runs in the Terriers' 18-2 win over Hartford Sunday. She also fired three perfect innings on the mound.
Cowan has also been a threat both in the batter's box and on the mound, hitting seven doubles, two home runs and 22 RBIs with 42 total bases. As a pitcher, she owns a 1.70 ERA with one shutout in five appearances.
The top-seeded Terriers will take on No. 4 Albany on Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the first round of the 2010 America East Softball Championships in Orono, Maine.
