Couto, Rich Recognized With NFCA All-New England Team Honors

Louisville, KY --- Junior Meghan Rich (Chelmsford, MA) and sophomore Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, MA) have both been named to the All-New England National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Third-team in a vote by the regions head coaches as announced by association publicist Dave Hines.

Rich and Couto were tabbed as At-Large selections and were the only student-athletes from the MASCAC chosen with prestigious All-New England laurels. Both student-athletes were instrumental in aiding the Lancers in their run to the 2015 MASCAC Regular Season Championship and claim the top seed in the conference tournament.

Rich, the MASCAC Pitcher of the Year, posted a 15-3 record with 13 complete games and a 1.93 earned run average in 112.1 frames of work. She topped the conference in wins, was second in innings, tied for third in complete games, had the third lowest ERA and her 55 strikeouts were seventh overall.

Among single-season program leaders, Rich put up the second-best winning percentage in single-season history (.833) while tying for fifth with the fewest walks.

In the latest NCAA Division III national statistics leaders, Rich is tied for ninth nationally in shutouts and she is one of two in New England to have blanked eight opponents. Rich was also tabbed as an ECAC Division III New England Second-team All-Star.

Couto, who is a repeat All-New England honoree at third base after transferring from Endicott as a freshman, finished the year among the top ten in several categories with a .365 batting average to go with 42 hits, 26 RBIs, 25 runs, two homers and 11 doubles.

Her two-baggers were second in the MASCAC as she had the fourth-most runs driven in and tied for fifth with 42 base-knocks.

Couto was also a steady glove for the Lancers as she committed just five miscues in 107 chances (34 putouts – 73 assists). She helped the Blue and Gold end the campaign with the second highest fielding percentage in the conference.

Under the direction of second-year head coach Michelle Cote, Worcester State went 22-15 with an 11-3 mark against league opponents while capturing the programs tenth MASCAC Regular Season title. WSU ended the year making their sixth consecutive appearance in the league tournament semifinals.

2015 NFCA All-New England Team

2015 ECAC Division III New England All-Stars