PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference (LEC) announced its 2023 softball major award recipients Tuesday, following a vote of the conference’s head coaches. Three of the LEC’s four major awards went to 2023 LEC regular season champion Eastern Connecticut State University.
 
Eastern Connecticut senior Alyssa Vilchez was named the 2023 LEC Player of the Year for her all around efforts this season as she split time between second base and the pitcher’s circle. She is batting .345 with 40 hits, 10 doubles, 21 RBI and 17 runs scored while posting a 12-3 record with a 2.06 ERA and .223 opponent batting average over 109 innings this season. Vilchez has a near-perfect .980 fielding percentage, being charged with just two errors in 100 total chances.
 
Fellow Warriors senior Carley Stoker was named the LEC Pitcher of the Year for the second time in her career, the first being in 2021. She has an overall record of 15-2  with five saves this season, sporting a 1.60 ERA, .213 opponent batting average and 116 strikeouts over her 113.2 innings of work in the circle.
 
Western Connecticut State University freshman Benni Tucci was named the 2023 LEC Rookie of the Year after batting .422 with 57 hits, 32 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts. She led the LEC in batting average and hits, and was second in runs scored. Tucci is the fifth WestConn player to be named the LEC Rookie of the Year, the most recent being Charline Plasczynski in 2017.
 
Diana Pepin was named the LEC Coach of the Year for the second time in as many seasons, and the seventh time in her career guiding the Warriors. Eastern Connecticut enters the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with an overall record of 28-10, and captured the LEC regular season title for the third consecutive years after going a perfect 16-0 in conference play.
 
The complete list of this year’s award recipients is as follows.
 

Player of the Year	Alyssa Vilchez	Eastern Connecticut
Pitcher of the Year	Carley Stoker	Eastern Connecticut
Rookie of the Year	Benni Tucci	Western Connecticut
Coach of the Year	Diana Pepin	Eastern Connecticut
First Team All-LEC
Catcher	Hannah Mosher	Castleton
First Base	Katelyn Ashe	Rhode Island College
Second Base	Benni Tucci	Western Connecticut
Shortstop	Sydney Sanden	UMass Boston
Third Base	Julia SanGiovanni	Eastern Connecticut
Outfield	Sarah Remillard	Eastern Connecticut
Outfield	Avery Katz	Rhode Island College
Outfield	Hannah Shields	Southern Maine
Pitcher	Olivia Joy	Castleton
Pitcher	Carley Stoker	Eastern Connecticut
Pitcher	Kaitlyn Shirshac	UMass Dartmouth
Utility/Non-Pitcher	Samera Rideout	Castleton
Utility/Pitcher	Alyssa Vilchez	Eastern Connecticut
Second Team All-LEC
Catcher	Alexis Boyce	Rhode Island College
First Base	Rona Scott	Southern Maine
Second Base	Molly Murray	Keene State
Shortstop	Emma Marelli	Eastern Connecticut
Third Base	Victoria Young	Rhode Island College
Outfield	Maggie Baker	Eastern Connecticut
Outfield	Taylor Darby	Eastern Connecticut
Outfield	Sophie Richland	UMass Boston
Pitcher	Abby Kidd	Rhode Island College
Pitcher	Belle Snyder	Southern Maine
Utility/Non-Pitcher	Victoria Heaphy	Eastern Connecticut
Utility/Pitcher	Jill Richards	UMass Dartmouth
All-Rookie Team
Utility	Alexandra Brouillette	Castleton
Third Base	Samera Rideout	Castleton
Pitcher/Infield	Alexis Rogers	Castleton
Utility	Maddy Bowen	Eastern Connecticut
Shortstop	Emma Marelli	Eastern Connecticut
Shortstop/Third Base	Lauren Miner	UMass Boston
Outfield	Sophie Richland	UMass Boston
Pitcher/First Base	Emily Antrim	Plymouth State
Infield	Sophia Crudale	Rhode Isand College
Second Base	Noelle Simmons	Rhode Isand College
Infield	Kendall Migliorini	Southern Maine
Third Base	Alexis Resto	Western Connecticut
Second Base	Benni Tucci	Western Connecticut