BENNINGTON, Vt. – For the third-consecutive year, the Southern Vermont College softball team has been selected by New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) coaches as the recipient of the 2013 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award.
Third-year head coach Leanne Baker brought the Mountaineers to a 9-21 record in 2013, winning the most games in program history to top the 2005 mark of eight (8-18). They were 6-12 in the NECC, also the best finish in SVC history since the league started in the 2008-09 school year.
"So many of the schools in our conference strive to coach and play the game the right way," said Baker. "We are thankful and grateful that the other coaches honored us with this award."
Two Southern Vermont players were awarded with weekly NECC accolades as sophomore catcher Meagan Fleming (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was named the conference Player of the Week for the week ending April 14th, and twin sister Emily Fleming (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) received the Pitcher of the Week honor for the period ending March 17th.
Becker College senior and former Mountaineer Talan Barron (Methuen, Mass.) was selected by the conference coaches as the NECC Player of the Year, and BC freshman slinger Kelsey Norberg (Uxbridge, Mass.) was the pick for Pitcher of the Year. Becker continued to grab major honors with freshman outfielder Jessica Wheelahan (Watertown, Conn.) receiving the Rookie of the Year accolade.
"Leanne coaches with a lot of respect for the game and it is seen through the way her players conduct themselves," commented Newbury College head skipper Brooke Capello. "They fight hard and make you earn everything, but they do it with a great, positive attitude and class. They show the utmost respect for the other team, no matter who the opponent is."
Capello was chosen by her peers as the NECC Coach of the Year after leading the Nighthawks to a 21-19 record and 12-6 mark in the NECC; NC went to the final game of the conference championship before losing to Lesley University, the fifth consecutive year in which the Lynx have hoisted the championship trophy.
Baker and her crew exemplified the NECC sportsmanship statement consistently on, and off, the field. "We had a flat tire on the way up to the games this year at SVC," remarked Capello, "and Leanne was incredibly supportive and took care of pushing the games back and making sure my players had enough time to get warmed up. I appreciated her looking out for my players as she would look out for her own."
To see a full list of conference award winners and all-conference teams, please visit neccathletics.com.