BIDDEFORD, Maine – Seven members of the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team earned Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) yearly awards, as announced by the conference Monday. The team earned the most honorees in program history this season with the seven awards and reached the postseason for the first time since 2005.
Head coach Erica Castro was named CCC Coach of the Year, and senior Ceilidh Higgins (Medway, Mass.) earned CCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) and senior Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) was named First-Team All-CCC, while senior Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) picked up All-Conference Second-Team honors. Junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) and senior Aurora Wilks (Fruitport, Mich.) earned yearly awards as well, taking Third-Team All-Conference honors.
In her fourth season, Castro led Wentworth to a 21-15 record, with the 21 wins being the most in program history. This is the second .500 or better record for her in four years leading the program, with this year being the first playoff appearance for the team in 17 seasons. The Leopards, who were picked to finish ninth in the CCC this year, earned the #5 seed in the conference after going 9-9 in CCC play. Under Castro's leadership, Wentworth led the league in runs (226), doubles (67), triple (17), RBI (184), extra-base hits (97), and walks (102). They also had the second-best slugging percentage (.441) and ERA (2.94) in the league.
Higgins has been a model student-athlete throughout her career at Wentworth. The biomedical engineering major did a great job juggling her academic and athletic responsibilities and currently holds a 3.75 GPA, leading to consistent appearances on the Dean's List. In addition to softball and class, Higgins is also involved on campus as an admissions ambassador, tour guide, and serves as the president of the Wentworth Events Board. She has had two successful co-ops at Mass. General Hospital and has been accepted into UConn's master's in biomedical engineering program and matched with MGH where she will be working for the next two years.
Pettenger started all 36 games for the Leopards this year, tying the team record for most hits in a season (48). She also led the team with 34 runs scored (second in the CCC), eight triples (a program record and led the conference), and 35 RBI (third in the CCC), while also adding the first two home runs of her career. The junior hit .378 with a .440 OBP, was second on the team and fifth in the conference with a .614 slugging percentage and broke the team record for total bases in a season with 78.
Pina had the best year of her career this season, finishing second on the team with a .387 batting average (fifth best in the conference), while hitting one home run, driving in 19 runs, and picking up a .595 slugging percentage. She scored 30 runs, tying for second-best on the team (fifth in the CCC) and led the conference with a program record 18 doubles on the year while playing in 34 games.
Beverly tied for the most hits on the year with 48 (second in the CCC) with Pettenger, as both players tied for the most in program history. She led the team with a .393 batting average (fourth, CCC), .631 slugging percentage (fourth in the conference), and 17 walks. The senior finished second on the team in home runs (three), RBI (29), doubles (10), triples (five, second in CCC), and runs scored (30, tied fifth in CCC) while playing in all 36 games.
Hancock finished sixth in the conference this year with a 2.57 ERA, the best of her career. The junior had the second-most starts in the CCC with 18 and tossed eight complete games. She issued the second-fewest walks and fourth-fewest hits of any pitcher (min. 100 IP), was sixth in strikeouts (98) and fifth in strikeouts per seven innings (6.29). Hancock also had success at the plate this year, hitting three doubles, one triple, and driving in seven runs in 56 plate appearances.
Wilks had her strongest season this year as well, finishing fourth on the team with a .337 batting average. She tied for the fourth-most home runs in a season in program history with six (tying for second most in the conference) and was third in RBI with 28 while also collecting four doubles and 30 hits.
The Leopards play in the opening round of the CCC Tournament Thursday, May 5 at 12:15 p.m., when they take on Suffolk University on the campus of Endicott College.
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