Central Islip, N.Y. - Junior utility player Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) of Molloy has been named the 2015 East Coast Conference Softball Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s coaches. Sophomore pitcher Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) has earned Pitcher of the Year honors, while freshman pitcher ToniMarie Valeriano (Bellmore, N.Y.) from Queens has been awarded the Rookie of the Year.
Balinskas, now a three-time All-Conference First Team selection, earns the first All-Conference major award of her career by earning Player of the Year laurels. Entering play in the ECC Championship, Balinskas ranks near the top of the conference in multiple offensive categories. She ranks second in hits (66), batting average (.423), on-base percentage (.483), homeruns (11) and fourth with 37 runs batted in. Balinskas is also atop the ECC leader board with 45 runs scored, 17 doubles, 122 total bases and a .782 slugging percentage to date. Her slugging percentage is among the best in Division II, currently as the 35th highest total in the nation. In addition, she has contributed in the circle accumulating 11 wins, good for fourth in the conference, and ranking second by striking out 115 hitters.
Martin, a three-time ECC Pitcher of the Week this season, put together an outstanding sophomore campaign in the circle for the Pioneers. In 22 appearances and 18 starts that span 126.2 innings pitched, Martin has compiled a 14-3 record and a 1.71 earned run average. Her win and ERA totals both rank second in the ECC and she leads the conference with 16 complete games which include six shutouts. Martin also ranks in the top-five in the league in strikeouts (93), strikeouts per game (5.14), and batting average against (.215).
Valeriano makes it two years in a row that the Rookie of the Year has been a Queens College Knight. In her debut season, Valeriano shined in the circle. In 23 appearances, she has put together a 10-5 record to go along with one save. Her 2.26 ERA over 102.1 innings pitched is presently the fifth lowest in the conference. Valeriano also contributed at the plate, posting a .313 batting average with 42 hits, seven doubles, two homeruns, and 19 RBI.
Amy Delmore of Queens has been selected Coach of the Year by her peers. This season, Delmore guided the Knights to a 32-14 overall record and a 24-4 mark in conference play to claim the top seed in the ECC Championship. The Knights also enter ECC Championship play as the fourth-ranked team in the East Region.
Balinskas and Martin are joined by Jackie Couillard (Sr., C, Mercy), Kat Zabielski (Jr., 1B, NYIT), Tori Duquette (Jr., @b, NYIT), Arianna La Puma (Jr., 3B, Dowling), Sonia Marin (Sr., SS, NYIT), Samantha Mattsson (Sr., SS, Queens), Chelsea Gourdin (Sr., OF, NYIT), Amber Fogarty (Sr., OF, Dowling), Morgan Lloyd (Fr., OF, Mercy), Paige Swantek (Jr., DP, LIU Post), Monique Roberge (Sr., UTL, Queens), and Carly Wade (Jr., P, NYIT) on the ECC All-Conference First Team.
Second Team honorees include Valeriano, Alexandra Russo (Fr., C, Molloy), Victoria Gunnels (Sr., 1B, Molloy), Samantha McDonald (Jr., 2B, St. Thomas Aquinas), Ashley Fedor (So., 3B, Molloy), Brianna Dalton (Fr., SS, Molloy), Catherine Havens (Sr., OF, LIU Post), Christina Pantages (Jr., OF, NYIT), Crystal Tarango (Sr., OF, Dowling), Kayla Morrissey (So., DP, Queens), Brittany Malloy (Fr., UTL, St. Thomas Aquinas), and Megan Salcido (Sr., P, LIU Post).
NYIT had the most All-Conference selections with six. Molloy was second with five, while Queens and LIU Post both had four each.
2015 ECC Softball All-Conference
First Team
C - Jackie Couillard, Mercy
1B - Kat Zabielski, NYIT
2B - Tori Duquette, NYIT
3B - Arianna LaPuma, Dowling
SS - Sonia Marin, NYIT
SS - Samantha Mattsson, Queens
OF - Amber Fogarty, Dowling
OF - Chelsea Gourdin, NYIT
OF - Morgan Lloyd, Mercy
DP - Paige Swantek, LIU Post
UTL - Tracey Balinskas, Molloy
UTL - Monique Roberge, Queens
P - Ashley Martin, LIU Post
P - Carly Wade, NYIT
Second Team
C - Alexandra Russo, Molloy
1B - Victoria Gunnels, Molloy
2B - Samantha McDonald, St. Thomas Aquinas
3B - Ashley Fedor, Molloy
SS - Brianna Dalton, Molloy
OF - Catherine Havens, LIU Post
OF - Christina Pantages, NYIT
OF - Crystal Tarango, Dowling
DP - Kayla Morrissey, Queens
UTL - Brittany Malloy, St. Thomas Aquinas
P - Megan Salcido, LIU Post
P - ToniMarie Valeriano, Queens
Player of the Year: Tracey Balinskas, Jr., UTL, Molloy
Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Martin, So., LIU Post
Rookie of the Year: ToniMarie Valeriano, Fr., P, Queens
Coach of the Year: Amy Delmore, Queens
