DANBURY, Conn. – After claiming both the Patriot League regular season and tournament titles along with impressive non-conference wins against three different major conferences, the Boston University softball team had four members honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) on Thursday morning.

Following her third season at the helm, Ashley Waters collected the Terriers' and the Patriot League's first-ever ECAC Coach of the Year Award, while freshman Ali DuBois earned BU's first and the PL's second ECAC Rookie of the Year honor. The two major ECAC awards also push BU's total to three after BU Hall of Famer April Setterlund was named ECAC Player of the Year in 2010. Both junior Alex Heinen (first team) and senior Emma Wong (second team) also collected All-ECAC accolades to give BU two honorees in one season for the first time since 2007 when both Christy Leath and Chiya Louie were recognized.

Under Waters' watch this year, BU (39-20) earned the third most wins in program history, highlighted by regular season victories over then-No. 1 Oklahoma (Big 12), Michigan State (Big 10) and Duke (ACC). The Terriers had eight straight non-conference wins at one point, their longest streak since 2006, and later won 15 straight in the month of April for their longest streak since 2001. The 15 consecutive victories also tied the 2015 Lehigh squad for longest in PL history. Besides sweeping all six PL major athletic awards (Coach, Player, Pitcher, Rookie, Defensive Player and Tournament MVP), BU currently ranks in the top 65 in the following NCAA categories – triples per game (1st, 0.54), earned run average (46th, 2.41), double plays per game (48th, 0.41), batting average (51st, 0.291), strikeout-to-walk ratio (53rd, 2.32), fielding percentage (54th, 0.969), scoring (56th, 5.10) and stolen bases per game (65th, 1.25).

Named a NFCA All-Region First Team honoree last week, DuBois was just one of two in the country alongside Michigan's Meghan Beaubien to earn both a conference's Pitcher and Rookie of the Year award in the same season. The Torrington, Connecticut, native owns a school-record 28 wins, which are fifth most in the nation. She also has 192 strikeouts, 47th most in the country and eighth most in a season at BU. Highlighted by a no-hitter against Army, she has posted 11 total shutouts, ninth most in the NCAAs.

Joining DuBois on the NFCA First Team, Heinen collected her first ECAC All-Star award after becoming the second catcher in Patriot League history to claim the conference's Player of the Year award. She batted a team-high .355 with 50 RBIs, third most ever in a season at BU. Starting every game behind home plate, she caught 17 base runners attempting a stolen base while recording 12 doubles, three triples and three homers. A San Clemente, California, native, she ranks 46th nationally with 71 total hits after recording four apiece against both UMass Lowell and CSUN this season.

Wong also added to her awards haul after being named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team last week. Also placed on the PL All-Tournament team, she hit .600 in three games with two doubles, four RBIs and four runs scored. She finished her senior campaign second on the team batting .351 and owns 52 runs scored, second most ever in a season at BU. Receiving All-PL First Team and Academic All-PL accolades as well, Wong earlier in the year successfully reached base 22 straight contests. The Solana Beach, California, native also had19 stolen bases and made several impressive defensive plays in right field for the Terriers, including a critical throw out at home against Iona in the eighth inning of a 4-3 (9) win.

ECAC Division I Softball Major Awards and All-ECAC Selections

Player of the Year
Krystal Puga, St. John's, Sr.

Pitcher of the Year
Julia DiMartino, Liberty University, Jr.

Rookie of the Year
Ali DuBois, Boston University, Fr.

Coach of the Year
Ashley Waters, Boston University

All-ECAC First Team
Krystal Puga, St. John's, Sr.
Taylor Troutt, Columbia, Sr.
Morgan Tolle, James Madison, Sr.
Katie Baron, Monmouth, Sr.
Brook Miko, Towson, Sr.
Kate Gordon, James Madison, So.
Ali Milam, Marist, So.
Kendyl Scott, Towson, Sr.
Alex Heinen, Boston University, Jr.
Odicci Alexander, James Madison, So.
Julia DiMartino, Liberty, Jr.

All-ECAC Second Team*
Paige Rauch, Fordham, Sr.
Holly Geranen, Colgate, Sr.
Brittany Husk, Villanova, Sr.
Molly Kapala, Saint Joseph's, So.
Hayley Norton, Saint Francis, Jr.
Nicole Yozzo, Lehigh, Sr.
Emma Wong, Boston University, Sr.
Bryce Holmgren, Syracuse, Jr.
Jessica Rutherford, Binghamton, Sr.
Victoria Zamora, LIU Brooklyn, Sr.
Anna Steinmetz, Delaware, Jr.
Courtney Hankins, Fairfield, Jr.
Amanda Riley, Monmouth, Sr.
Alexa Romero, Syracuse, So.
*additional players added due to ties in voting

ABOUT THE ECAC
Established in 1938, the ECAC is the nation's largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. The ECAC hosts numerous championships in men's and women's sports across Divisions I, II and III, offering opportunities for thousands of student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.