Poughkeepsie, NY - Manhattan softball's
Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) has been named the MAAC's Defensive Player of the Year, as announced at the league's award show Wednesday night at Marist. This is the first time in program history that a Jasper has won the defensive player award, and the fifth time a player has earned a major postseason honor from the league.
Pitney, a senior, compiled a total of 93 putouts in 48 games at second base this season. She assisted on 13 double plays, helping the Jaspers to a top 40 Division I ranking in double plays per game. Recording only six errors throughout the year, the reliable infielder added 82 total assists, finishing her senior season with a .967 fielding percentage.
Also earning All-MAAC
First Team honors as a infielder, Pitney led the Jaspers in batting average (.410) this year, while topping the nation in walks per game with a program-best 59 this season. She ranked third in the nation in on-base percentage (.617) and 57th
in slugging percentage (.744), on her way to her third All-MAAC
team selection (she was named to the First Team in 2017 and the Second Team last season).
Pitney was just one of three Jaspers earning postseason accolades Wednesday. Teammate
Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) was named to the All-MAAC First Team as well, tying with Niagara's Jerri Ann Orfano for the league's best designated player. Moore and pitcher/utility player
Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Pinelands) were also named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Moore completed her first year in Riverdale with 13 doubles, tying for sixth on the program's single-season list. Her 38 RBI was a team-high, just two short of the program's single-season top 10. She batted .397 on the season and .484 in MAAC play.
Rising appeared in the pitcher's circle in 33 games for the Jaspers, tying for fifth place on Manhattan's single-season list. She compiled eight wins, including two shutouts, with a 3.70 ERA and a team-high 92 strikeouts.
In addition to these awards, 11 Jaspers were named to the MAAC's All-Academic Team this year, the second-most in the league. To be eligible for this honor, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
2019 MAAC All-Academic Team
