Softball Trio Receives All-BIG EAST Recognition
5/10/2018 10:00:00 AM | Softball
Sam Crowley made the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Kiele Miller and Tash Coffiel made the Second Team
NEW YORK – Three players from the Creighton softball team earned recognition on the All-BIG EAST teams, the league announced on Thursday morning. Senior outfielder Sam Crowley made the first team, while freshman pitcher Kiele Miller and senior third baseman Tash Coffiel made the second team.
Crowley, a senior from Green Bay, Wisconsin, earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors after leading in the league with a .523 batting average (23-for-44) during league play , and pacing the conference in slugging percentage (.909). She also scored 16 times (third in league) and claimed 17 RBIs (second in BIG EAST). Additionally, Crowley led the Bluejays during league action with eight sacrifice bunts. Defensively, the center fielder had 29 putouts and one assists while starting all 15 of Creighton's BIG EAST games.
The senior owned only eight career hits during BIG EAST play through her first three years at Creighton. Crowley entered the 2018 with only 20 hits during 106 career at-bats (.189) overall. This year she has 47 hits during 117 at-bats (.402 batting average – second in BIG EAST) through 39 games with 12 extra-base hits after having only five in her first three seasons (all last year).
Miller garnered a BIG EAST-low 1.42 ERA as she allowed only 12 earned runs in 59.0 innings pitched during 12 appearances in conference play, including nine starts, on her way to All-BIG EAST Second Team honors. The freshman right-hander recorded 64 strikeouts (2nd in league) to only 18 walks. The Dripping Springs, Texas native, also led the league with 26 strikeouts looking, and held opponents to a .172 batting average during BIG EAST games, which was the best mark in the conference. She also finished with a 7-2 record.
Overall, Miller finished the regular season with 138 strikeouts (third-best in conference) during 123.3 innings pitched, including a league-best 51 strikeouts looking, and claimed a 13-7 record (28 appearances, 18 starts).
Coffiel earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors after pacing the Bluejays with a .564 on-base percentage during league games. The senior started all 15 games of Creighton's league schedule at third base and recorded 14 hits and eight walks. She closed out her senior campaign by going 6-for-8 with four runs scored, four RBIs and slugging 1.500 with a double, triple and home run during Creighton's three-game sweep of Villanova last weekend. The Omaha native, also tallied a team-high 20 assists defensively during conference action.
This season marks the second consecutive in which three Creighton players earned All-BIG EAST recognition. Crowley became the fourth Bluejay to make the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Krystal Puga (St. John's) claimed BIG EAST Player of the Year Honors, Pat Moore (DePaul) earned Pitcher of the Year status, Gretchen Bowie (St. John's) garnered Defensive Player of the Year honors, Kate Polucha (DePaul) was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and DePaul received Coaching Staff of the Year recognition.
The Bluejays finished 12-3 during league play for the most wins since joining the conference prior to the 2014 season. Creighton's .800 winning percentage also marked its best winning percentage since 2008 when the team finished 21-3 (.875) in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Creighton (27-14) opens the 2018 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by Jeep as the No. 2 seed and will play third-seeded St. John's on Friday at 3 p.m. at The Ballpark at Rosemont, in suburban Chicago.
Below is a complete list of the All-BIG EAST teams and specialty award winners.
2018 BIG EAST Player of the Year
Krystal Puga, St. John's, Sr., 1B
2018 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Pat Moore, DePaul, Fr.
2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Gretchen Bowie, St. John's, So., UT
2018 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Kate Polucha, DePaul, OF
2018 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul
2018 All-BIG EAST First Team
Pat Moore, DePaul, Fr., P
Missy Zoch, DePaul, So., P
Kaitlin Mattera, St. John's, So., C
Krystal Puga, St. John's, Sr., 1B*
Angela Giampolo, Villanova, Fr., 2B*
Alyssa Lach, Butler, Sr., 3B
Brittany Husk, Villanova, Sr., SS*
Sam Crowley, Creighton, Sr., OF
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Fr., OF
Megan Leyva, DePaul, Sr., OF
Gretchen Bowie, St. John's, So., UT
Morgan Greenwood, DePaul, Jr., DP
2018 All-BIG EAST Second Team
Kiele Miller, Creighton, Fr., P
Anna Brooks Pacha, Georgetown, So., P
Jessica Cothern, DePaul, So., C
Nikki Alden, Villanova, Sr., 1B
Sara Foster, Seton Hall, Sr., 2B
Tash Coffiel, Creighton, Sr., 3B
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Fr., SS
Jenna Foreman, Butler, Jr., OF
Theresa Kane, Georgetown, Sr., OF
Lauren Zick, St. John's, Sr., OF
Julianne Rurka, Providence, Sr., UT
Sarah Bennett, Georgetown, Sr., DP
*unanimous selection
