TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team finished the regular season as the top team in the Liberty League, and were rewarded as such on Tuesday morning. The Engineers took home three of the four major league awards – as senior
Alexis Cooke was named Pitcher of the Year, freshman
Callista Adorno was named Rookie of the Year, as well as head coach
Amber Maisonet leading the charge with the Coaching Staff of the Year. In addition, five other Engineers earned all-conference honors –
Erin Askins,
Alex Ledger,
Evann McDowell,
Sydney Speanburg, and
Gabby Comeau.
Cooke, Adorno, and Askins all earned All-Conference First Team honors, while Ledger, McDowell, Speanburg, and Comeau brought home second team honors.
Cooke has been a big part of the success in the circle, not allowing an earned run throughout Liberty League play for an 0.00 ERA. Cooke impressed throughout the season, putting up a team-best 2.37 ERA over 21 appearances. Cooke collected 14 wins, and led the pitching staff with 93.2 total innings. The award is Cooke's first of her career.
Adorno ranks among the league best in many categories. Her .398 average in the regular season ranked second among players regularly in the starting lineup, while her four home runs are tied for second in the league. Adorno - along with Ledger – ranks top five in the Liberty League in RBI's, with Adorno bringing in 33 this season. She also leads the league in hit by pitches by a wide margin, reaching base 14 times after being hit by a pitch.
Askins was the steady beat of the Engineers offense, providing a .452 batting average from the leadoff spot in the Engineers lineup. Her batting average ranks second to Union's Karson Saunders – the league's offensive player of the year - while she sits top five in almost every offensive category. At the conclusion of the regular season, she was tied for first in triples (5), second in on-base percentage (.546), runs scored (43), total bases (73), walks (23), third in slugging percentage (.629), fifth in stolen bases (18), and sixth in doubles (11). Her clutch two-out, two-strike hit against Clarkson to keep the Engineers win streak going is a highlight of her season. The selection is her second in a row after earning first team honors a year ago.
Ledger earns her first Liberty League postseason honor, scoring second team recognition. She went on to hit .313 through the end of the postseason, posting a .799 OPS over 41 games. She knocked 13 doubles – which ranked fourth in the Liberty league – and 34 RBI. She also added 14 runs scored, five walks, and two home runs.
McDowell had a strong freshman campaign for the Engineers, posting a .287 batting average over 37 games. After solidifying her spot at second base, she went on to a .385 on-base percentage and .383 slugging percentage. McDowell had 17 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, and a home run to go with 12 RBI. McDowell's lone home run came in walk-off fashion, a grand slam over the left field fence to beat Clarkson on Apr. 16.
Along with McDowell, Speanburg solidified the bottom of the RPI order as a freshman. She ranked third on the team with a .333 batting average among all starters, and ranked among the top 25 hitters in the league. She scored 22 runs, seven doubles, a triple, and 16 RBI. Her .433 slugging percentage ranked fourth among starters.
Comeau earns her second award in a row after scoring first team honors a year ago. She put up a .298 batting average, having played and started in all 41 games for the Engineers so far. Her 42 hits puts her in the top 20 in the Liberty League this season, as she added six doubles and 30 RBI. She struck out just six times all season.
The Engineers will keep their season going this upcoming weekend, as RPI earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017 with an at-large selection to the field of 62. The Engineers will travel to MIT – the regional's host site - to take on Endicott on Thursday at 2 p.m.
