Following the conclusion of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, the Eastern Connecticut State University softball was ranked as the No. 6 team in the nation, according to the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Coaches’ Poll.
The Warriors posted an overall record of 44-7 during the 2022 campaign, which included a near-perfect mark of 15-1 in the Little East Conference (LEC) play. Eastern won both the LEC regular season and tournament championships this season, securing the league’s automatic qualifier for the national tournament. After receiving a First Round bye, the Warriors defeated fourth-seeded Castleton (6-0) before twice defeating third-seeded UMass Dartmouth (4-0 and 11-0) to win their third consecutive LEC tournament championship.
Eastern went on to won the NCAA Regional out of the losers bracket, avenging a 4-3 loss to host Kean with victories of 5-1 and 8-0 in six innings once it advanced to the final. The Warriors then went 2-0 in the best-of-three super regional round, defeating Randolph Macon 1-0 (eight innings) and 4-0 to advance to the College World Series. Eastern rebounded from a 4-2 (eight innings) loss to Trine to defeat Millikin 8-1 in an elimination game before falling to Berry 6-4, ending its quest for a national championship.
The Warriors were led by a trio of LEC major award winners in Player of the Year Julia SanGiovanni, Pitcher of the Year Alexis Michon and Coach of the Year Diana Pepin. Michon went on to be named the 2022 NFCA Division III Pitcher of the Year and was among four Eastern players to be named 2022 NFCA All-Americas along with Brooke Matyasovsky, SanGiovanni and Cassie Woods.
In addition, Pepin and assistant coaches Mark Correia, Tom Madera, Dawn Brolin and Joe Banas were honored by the NFCA as the NCAA Division III Region II Coaching Staff of the Year.
Original source can be found here.
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