West Babylon, N.Y. – On the heels of their first-ever East Coast Conference Regular Season Championships, St. Thomas Aquinas is the heavy favorite in the league’s softball preseason poll that was released on Tuesday afternoon. The conference’s preseason awards were also announced with St. Thomas Aquinas standouts Carissa Della Vecchia (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and Abbie Landrum (Buena Park, Calif.)
St. Thomas Aquinas was nearly a unanimous selection atop the poll, receiving five of six first place votes. Six starting position players and two starting pitchers are back from last year’s squad. Among the key returnees are All-Conference selections Amanda Demmerle, Emilie Olivier, Della Vecchia, and Landrum.
Della Vecchia claims the second preseason honor of her career. This time around she earns the Preseason Player of the Year nod after previously being named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year before the 2021 season. Last season, Della Vecchia excelled as a hitter and pitcher for the Spartans. Offensively, she compiled a .347 batting average with 15 doubles, three home runs, and 24 runs batted in. Her doubles total led the ECC, while she also ranked in the top five in the league with 29 walks and a .459 on-base percentage. In the circle, Della Vecchia finished with a 16-8 record to go along with a 2.74 earned run average and 232 strikeouts in 168.1 innings. Her win and strikeout totals were both good for second in the conference.
Landrum was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year after a solid debut campaign in 2022. In 25 appearances, she posted a 12-13 record with a 2.70 earned run average. Her win total and ERA were both ranked fourth in the conference, while she also finished second in the league with six shutouts.
D’Youville and Molloy tied for second in the poll with 26 points. While they obtained a lofty status in the poll, D’Youville will be ineligible for the ECC Championship as they finish their final year of a three-year NCAA-mandated transition from Division III to Division II. The Saints, who finished last year with a 29-14 (15-9 ECC) record, will be able to compete for a United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship once again after finishing as the national runner-up in 2022.
Molloy returns nearly their entire roster, losing only two starters from last year’s team that advanced to the final of the ECC Championship.
Mercy follows in the No. 4 spot with 18 points. Staten Island and Queens round out the poll at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
2023 ECC Softball Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | Last Year's Record |
| 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (5) | 35 | 28-21 (19-5 ECC) |
| T2. D'Youville | 26 | 29-14 (15-9 ECC) |
| T2. Molloy (1) | 26 | 24-33 (10-14 ECC) |
| 4. Mercy | 18 | 11-38 (9-15 ECC) |
| 5. Staten Island | 12 | 12-26 (6-18 ECC) |
| 6. Queens | 9 | 8-28 (8-16 ECC) |
( ) - first place votes
Preseason Player of the Year: Carissa Della Vecchia, Gr., St. Thomas Aquinas
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Abbie Landrum, So., St. Thomas Aquinas
