Softball Shares Top Spot in NECC Coaches Poll
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Mitchell College and Eastern Nazarene College share the top spot in the 2023 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Softball Coaches Poll with eight points and two first place votes a piece.
Mitchell College will be under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Erin Miller. The Mariners will look to 2022 NECC Co-Player and Rookie of the Year Gemma Landry (Lewiston, Maine) to continue her stellar play. Landry hit .449 in her rookie campaign, good for third in the league. Pitcher Katelyn Lipsky (Plantsville, Conn.) also returns after earning all-conference honors a season ago. She compiled eight wins with a 3.73 ERA.
The Lions, who have won two of the last three NECC championships, are headed up by first-year head coach, Tyler Pagaduan. Eastern Nazarene will have no shortage of leadership, as seven starters return, including All-Region performers Taylor Brandt (Napa, Calif.) and Jennelle Munoz (Lake Elsinore, Calif.). Brandt hit .430 with seven home runs a season ago, earning first team All-NECC honors and second team All-Region accolades. Munoz, who has won two consecutive NECC Pitcher of the Year honors, led the NECC with 16 wins and a 3.42 ERA.
Defending NECC champions Lesley University and New England College landed in a tie for the third spot with four points each. Second year head coach Kelsey Smith returns for the Lynx and will coach a young squad led by catcher Megan Murphy (Dracut, Mass.), who hit .325 in conference play in her rookie season.
New England College head coach Ben Master enters his eleventh year for the Pilgrims. First team All-NECC selection Emily Gagne (Portsmouth, N.H.) headlines the 'Grims returners, as she comes back from a season in which she hit .373 and was the league's greatest threat on the bases, with 23 thefts.
Teams will vie for the NECC Softball title on Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7.
2023 NECC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Eastern Nazarene- 8 (2)
Mitchell- 8 (2)
3. Lesley - 4
New England College- 4
The NECC began competition in the 2008-09 academic year and current member institutions compete across 13 sports. The NECC membership focuses on providing athletic competition among institutions that share similar academic aspirations and are committed to the importance of the total educational experience for students engaged in sport. For more information, please visit neccathletics.com.
