Four Lancers Named to Worcester Area Softball All-Star Team; Despres Tabbed Co-Player of the Year
WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State University’s junior Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) headlined the Worcester Area All-Star team as she was named the Co-Player of the Year with WPI’s Ama Biney. Also being named to the inaugural Worcester Area Softball All-Star first team was Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.), Courtney Salisbury (Cranston, R.I.), and Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.).
Worcester Area All-Star Release
WORCESTER, Mass. – The first annual Worcester Area Softball All-Star team has been announced after a vote by sports information directors representing nine Worcester area colleges and universities. In addition, six major award winners were also named for their respective contributions to the success of their softball programs.
Worcester State University's junior Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) headlined the Worcester Area Softball All-Star team as she was named the Co-Player of the Year with WPI's Ama Biney. Also being named to the inaugural Worcester Area Softball All-Star first team for Worcester State was Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.), Courtney Salisbury (Cranston, R.I.), and Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.).
Despres, a two-time NFCA All-New England honoree and MASCAC selection, batted .410 on the season with a .526 on base percentage and a .743 slugging percentage. She hit 12 doubles, one triple and a league-best seven home runs while tallying 27 runs and 28 RBI in the 2017 campaign. She also led the MASCAC in walks with 23. Defensively, the first baseman registered a .985 fielding percentage with 180 putouts and 17 assists.
Couto closed out the regular season third in the league in batting average at .408 with a .436 on base percentage and .495 slugging percentage. She also hit six doubles and a home run while bringing in 16 runs and scoring 17 of her own. Defensively, she was unstoppable and collected 48 putouts and 69 assists.
Salisbury completed the season with a .350 batting average, .391 on base percentage, and a .520 slugging percentage. She recorded a league-high 15 doubles, conference-best four sacrifice flies, two home runs, 31 runs, and 21 RBI. She concludes her career at Worcester State at the top of career singles (137) and doubles (47) categories, second in the record book with 192 career hits and second in career runs with 131.
Smith-Porter helped the Lancers offensively with a .341 batting average, .408 on base percentage, and a .549 slugging percentage. She registered 22 runs, four doubles, five home runs, and 25 RBI. In the circle, she led the team with a 5-3 record and a 2.33 ERA. Smith-Porter pitched 57 innings and struck out a team-high 41 batters.
WPI's freshman Mackenzie Phillips was named the Worcester Area Rookie of the Year, while freshman Alexis Ferris of Nichols was named the Pitcher of the Year. Sharing the award for Coach of the Year were Jen Lapicki of Holy Cross and Heather Korzec of Nichols.
Player of the Year (co)
Sydney Despres / Jr. / Worcester State
Ama Biney / Jr. / WPI
Rookie of the Year
Mackenzie Phillips / Fr. / WPI
Pitcher of the Year
Alexis Ferris / Fr. / Nichols
Coach of the Year (co)
Jen Lapicki, Holy Cross
Heather Korzec, Nichols
First Team
Pos. Name Institution Cl. Hometown / High School
1B Sydney Despres Worcester State Jr. Sterling, Mass. / Wachusett Regional
2B Emily Krisanda Holy Cross Sr. Oak Hill, Va. / Oakton
3B Rachel Couto Worcester State Sr. Chelmsford, Mass. / Chelmsford
SS Kendall Meehan Nichols Jr. Danvers, Mass. / Danvers
C Courtney Salisbury Worcester State Sr. Cranston, R.I. / Cranston West
P Alexis Ferris Nichols Fr. Holyoke, Mass. / Hampshire Reg.
P Dakota Smith-Porter Worcester State Sr. Montague, Mass. / Turners Falls
P Mackenzie Phillips WPI Fr. Gill, Mass. / Turners Falls
OF Ashley Clark Assumption Sr. Pawtucket, R.I. / William E. Tolman
OF Ama Biney WPI Jr. Worcester, Mass. / Holy Name
OF Vasia Murphy Becker So. Dracut, Mass. / Dracut
DP Cassie Graca WPI Fr Somerset, Mass. / Somerset-Berkley
Util. Jessica Kuelling Nichols So. Gales Ferry, Conn. / Ledyard
Second Team
Pos. Name Institution Cl. Hometown / High School
1B Renee LeClaire WPI So. Merrimack, N.H. / Merrimack
2B Katie Gildea Fitchburg State Jr Bedford, Mass. / Bedford
3B Mandy McCarthy Holy Cross Jr. Pearl River, N.Y. / Pearl River
SS Taylor Wahler Holy Cross So. Inman, S.C. / Landrum
C Lindsay Gurska WPI Sr. Revere, Mass. / Revere
P Samantha Lee Becker Jr. Prospect, Conn. / Woodland
P Kendal Roy Assumption Jr. Grafton, Mass. / Grafton
P Galen Kerr Fitchburg State Sr. Concord, Mass. / Concord-Carlisle
P Alexandra Held Holy Cross So. Houston, Texas / Clear Lake
OF Callie Andrews Nichols So. Southbridge, Mass. / Oxford
OF RiAnna May WPI Jr. Westminster, Colo. / Standley Lake
OF Damari Grossi Fitchburg State So. Medford, Mass. / Medford
OF Lauren Mackey Clark Sr. Dublin, N.H. / ConVal Regional
DP Jessalynne Brown Fitchburg State Sr. Malden, Mass. / Malden
Util. Kaitlyn Moran Anna Maria Sr. Leicester, Mass. / St. Peter-Marian