ORONO, Maine — University at Albany senior Andee Lindgren, who last season was cited as the conference's top pitcher, was named America East Player of the Year at the annual awards banquet Wednesday. Junior Jenna Merchant of University of Maine was chosen the Pitcher of the Year. University of Hartford catcher Nikki Thompson was selected Rookie of the Year. Albany head coach Chris Cannata was named Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. All voting was conducted by the conference's head coaches. All Conference Teams
Lindgren, who plays first base when not pitching, leads America East and ranks 26th in the nation with an ERA of 1.06. She also leads the conference and ranks 14th nationally with a .434 average at the plate. The left-hander is 18-2 in the circle with 165 strikeouts in 139.1 innings pitched. She has 62 hits (conference-best 1.27 per game) including 18 doubles and has 34 RBI.
Merchant is 9-4 and has a 1.32 ERA, second in the conference to Lindgren. The right-hander has 63 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. She is the first Black Bear to be named Pitcher of the Year since current Maine head coach Deb Smith shared the award with Audrey West of Boston University in 1994.
Thompson is the first Hartford player to win the Rookie of the Year and the first Hawk honored by the conference for one of the top individual awards since Danielle Simoneau shared Player of the Year honors with Deb Smith in 1994. Thompson batted .308 with five home runs and a team-best 23 RBI.
Cannata is the first to repeat as Coach of the Year in the 13-year history of the softball conference. She has guided the Great Danes to a 34-16 mark overall and a 17-2 conference record as the No. 1 seed in this week's America East Championship. She has a record of 261-142 in her nine-year tenure at Albany.
Lindgren and Merchant are joined on the first team by rookie pitcher Ashlee Freeman of Boston University. Freeman is 15-13 with a 2.13 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 193.2 innings.
Senior Jessica Chellis of Binghamton University is a repeat selection as the first-team catcher. She is joined by junior Kristen Brust of Stony Brook University at first base, sophomore Katrina Dunning of Albany and junior Mallory Rapoza of Hartford at second base, sophomore Hayley Durham of Stony Brook at third base, and junior Jamie Haas of Boston University and sophomore Brittany Cheney of Maine at shortstop.
The first-team outfield includes junior DeKenya Williams of Boston University, sophomore Jess Brady of Maine and junior Jane Stein of Stony Brook. Sophomore Ashley Rios of Albany is the designated player. Rookie Kelly Ogden of Albany was chosen as a utility player.
Chellis ranks among the conference leaders with a .309 batting average. Brust, who has earned first-team all-conference honors in each of her three seasons in America East, is second in America East and 33rd in the nation with a .406 average and is fifth in the nation in doubles with 23 in 60 games (0.38 per game). Dunning, who earned second-team honors last season, carries a .317 average with nine doubles and 21 RBI. Rapoza, a first-team choice last year, batted .276 with 15 RBI. Durham ranks third in America East with a .368 average and is second with 64 hits. Haas, who was the America East Player of the Year in both 2002 and 2003, was chosen to the first team for the third-straight season. She leads the Terriers with a .345 average and has 15 stolen bases. Cheney, a second-team choice last season, has batted .304 with 19 RBI.
Williams, who earned first-team accolades last season, is second on the Terriers with a .297 average and has added 17 RBI. Brady, a three-time first-team choice, leads the Black Bears with a .359 average and has three triples and 15 stolen bases. Stein is batting .339 with eight doubles and five home runs. Rios is batting .383 in 38 games. Ogden is batting .295 with 28 RBI.
Casey Halloran of Albany and Angela Andrews of Stony Brook are the second-team pitchers. Thompson is the catcher. Liz Alley of Boston University, Nicole Vitello of Binghamton and Liz Borawski of Hartford were chosen at first, second and third base, respectively. Rose Barre of Binghamton is the second-team shortstop. The second-team outfield includes Jen Nolette of Albany, Jessica Dima of Binghamton and Amanda Bile of UMBC. Kate Ramsey of University of Vermont is the second-team designated player. Brittany Detwiler of Boston University was selected as a utility player.
The all-rookie team includes Halloran, Ogden, Freeman, Thompson, Ramsey and Detwiler, who were chosen to an all-conference team, as well as infielder Sara Eppolito of Binghamton, pitcher/utility Sarah Hoffman of Stony Brook and infielder Kate DeForge of Vermont.
Thirteen of the 15 first-team all-conference choices and five of the second-team selections are in action this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the America East Softball Championship. The double-elimination event begins with No. 2 Stony Brook vs. No. 3 Boston University at 12 noon Thursday, followed by No. 1 Albany vs. No. 4 Maine. Friday's schedule includes three games with the first to begin at 11 a.m. The championship game is slated for Saturday at 12 noon with a game to follow, if necessary. All games will be played at Kessock Field on the Maine campus.