With the regular season complete and the 2017 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by Jeep two days away, the Conference announced its annual award winners and All-BIG EAST Teams on Wednesday (May 10). Two Butler sophomores –
Jenna Foreman and
Kaitlin Doud – earned second-team honors.
Each All-BIG EAST Team consists of 12 players: two pitchers, one catcher, first baseman, second baseman, short stop, third baseman, utility/pitcher, designated player/non-pitcher and three outfielders. The eight conference coaches selected the All-BIG EAST teams; coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Foreman leads the Bulldogs with a .380 average. Her mark is second in the conference. Her 30 stolen bases are also second in the BIG EAST and are a new Butler single-season record. Foreman is batting .394 in BIG EAST play this season. She has posted 18 multi-hit games this season and enters the BIG EAST Tournament on a current seven-game hitting streak.
Doud has been most impressive in BIG EAST play, posting a .333 average, three home runs and 14 RBIs. She earned All-BIG EAST honors in the utility position, seeing significant time at pitcher, first base, second base, and designated player. She is 6-3 in the circle against BIG EAST foes, posting a 3.80 ERA. In her most recent outing, she threw a complete-game shutout against Georgetown over the weekend.
Doud's season average has climbed from .188 to .257 since April 23 (corresponding to Butler's 6-2 mark
during that time). She has five extra-base hits in her last four games. Doud is tied for the team-lead with five home runs.
BIG EAST Championship teams combined for 17 of the 24 All-BIG EAST selections. The two-day tournament in suburban Chicago at the Ballpark at Rosemont begins Friday, May 12, with top-seeded St. John's matching up against fourth-seeded Butler in the first semifinal set for 1 p.m. ET. No. 2 DePaul versus No. 3 Villanova follows in the second semifinal at 4 p.m. The semifinal winners advance to Saturday's final, set for 2:30 p.m. (ET). All three games will air live on FS2.
2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year
Alexis Walkden, Seton Hall, Jr., 3B
2017 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Brette Lawrence, Villanova, Sr.
2017 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Jessica Cothern, DePaul, C
2017 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
St. John's
2017 All-BIG EAST First Team
Brette Lawrence, Villanova, Sr., P
Missy Zoch, DePaul, Fr., P
Jessica Cothern, DePaul, Fr., C
Nikki Alden, Villanova, Jr., 1B*
Lexi Robles, St. John's, Sr., 2B
Alexis Walkden, Seton Hall, Jr., 3B*
Monique Landini, St. John's, Sr., SS*
Lauren Zick, St. John's, Jr., OF*
Micah Fitzgerald, DePaul, Sr., OF
Sam Dellinger, Creighton, Fr., OF
Gretchen Bowie, St. John's, Fr., UT
Nicole Pihl, DePaul, Sr., DP
2017 All-BIG EAST Second Team
Madison Morris, St. John's, So., P
Tori Free, St. John's, Sr., P
Nicole Lundstrom, Providence, Sr., C
Julianne Rurka, Providence, Jr., 1B
Aujanae McCoy, Creighton, Sr., 2B
Lauren Herschberg, Villanova, Sr., 3B
Brittany Husk, Villanova, Jr., SS
Jenna Foreman, Butler, So., OF
Emma Lee, Providence, So., OF
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, Fr., OF
Kaitlin Doud, Butler, So., UT
Savannah Warren, St. John's, Jr., DP
*unanimous selection
