NEW YORK – With the BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by JEEP getting under way on Thursday, the Conference announced its annual regular-season awards on Wednesday. Butler's Lauren Fey and Karli Ricketts earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors. Fey was one of five unanimous selections.
 
Villanova's Paige Rauch became the first in league history to sweep BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honors in the same season. Regular-season champion DePaul collected BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year recognition, while Blue Demon senior shortstop Maranda Gutierrez was voted BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. UConn shortstop Jana Sanden was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year to round out the major award winners.
 
An All-BIG EAST First Team and All-BIG EAST Second Team were also named, each consisting of 12 players made up of at least two pitchers, with the remaining spots selected at-large. All-BIG EAST Teams and major awards are selected via a vote of the league's head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staffs.  
 
Fey is second in the BIG EAST with a .427 batting average. That mark is also 39^th in the nation entering this week's tournament. Fey has walked 21 times (second in the conference) to go along with her 47 hits (third in the conference), which has contributed to her .519 on-base percentage, which is third among BIG EAST batters. Her on-base percentage is just outside the Top 50 nationally. Fey leads the BIG EAST in triples (seven), and is tied for fifth in both runs scored (22) and stolen bases (12).

Fey strikes out once every 18.3 plate appearances, which leads the conference and is 80^th nationally.
 
In the circle, Ricketts has 113 strikeouts on the season, which is second in the league. Those have come in 95.1 innings of work. Ricketts is fourth in the BIG EAST in ERA (2.72) and opponents are batting only .223 against her, which is third in the BIG EAST. At the plate, Ricketts has been the largest source of power for the Butler line-up this season. Her seven home runs and 26 RBI are both tied for fourth in the BIG EAST.
 
Butler opens the BIG EAST Tournament on Thursday with a noon first pitch against the top-seeded Blue Demons of DePaul. The double-elimination tournament in Storrs, Conn., is scheduled to run through Saturday.
 
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P*
 
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P
 
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Sr., SS
 
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Jana Sanden, UConn, Fr., SS
 
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul
 
All-BIG EAST First Team
Lauren Fey, Butler, Jr., 2B*
Karli Ricketts, Butler, Jr., P/DP
Reese Guevarra, UConn, Sr., OF
Jana Sanden, UConn, Fr., SS*
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, So., DP*
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, Sr., OF
Jessica Cothern  DePaul, Sr., C*
Natalie Halvorson, DePaul, Sr., P
Gretchen Bowie, St. John's, Grad., 3B
Marissa Rizzi, St. John's, Grad., 1B
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Sr., P*
Ryan Henry, Villanova, Jr., DP
 
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Devon Casazza, UConn, Grad., C
Krista Dalgarn, DePaul, Sr., P
Brooke Johnson, DePaul, So., 1B
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Sr., SS
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Sr., OF/LF
Nicole Sullivan, DePaul, Fr., 3B
Daniela Alvarez, Providence, Jr., P
Kaitlin Mattera, St. John's, Grad., C
Hailey Arteaga, Seton Hall, Grad., OF
Ally Jones, Villanova, So., C
Angela Giampolo, Villanova, Sr., 2B
Megan Kern, Villanova, Jr., SS
 
*unanimous selection