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 Alyssa Graves was unanimously selected as the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year. Both she and Lauren Fey landed on the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Bri Avery received All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
 
Five different teams were represented with the five major awards, led by Creighton designated player Kailey Wilson, who collected the BIG EAST Player of the Year award after producing the league's top batting average. Graves was the only unanimous selection of the five, as she led all conference hurlers in ERA. DePaul graduate-student shortstop Maranda Gutierrez was voted BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the third time, while Seton Hall shortstop Taylor Hill was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in her first season. Regular-season champion UConn collected BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year recognition, rounding 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. 
 
Graves was the ace of the Butler staff throughout the season, guiding the Bulldogs to the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. The graduate student led the conference with a 1.12 ERA in league games and a .164 opponent's batting average while finishing with a 10-0 record in 16 appearances. In those games, she allowed more than two earned runs just once. She caught fire at the end of the season, allowing just three earned runs over her final 32.3 innings of work while striking out 34 batters. Graves was one of just two pitchers in the BIG EAST to not surrender a home run during conference action.
 
Fey ranks first in the BIG EAST (32nd nationally) as toughest to strikeout, averaging 19.6 at bats per strikeout. She is third in batting average (.387) and, with 19 walks and 53 hits (fifth in the conference), her on-base percentage (.549) ranks fifth. The senior has 18 stolen bases which puts her in the seventh spot in the conference.
 
This season's First Team designation is Fey's second such honor, as she was also selected in 2021.
 
Avery is tied for third in the BIG EAST with a .387 batting average. The speedy senior ranks fifth (80th nationally) with 20 stolen bases.
 
No. 2 seed Butler opens the BIG EAST Tournament on Thursday with a 3 pm ET (2 pm CT) first pitch against No. 3 seed Villanova. The double-elimination tournament in Rosemont, Ill., is scheduled to run through Saturday.
 
2022 BIG EAST Softball Awards 
 
BIG EAST Player of the Year 
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP 
 
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year 
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr.* 
 
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year 
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS 
 
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year 
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS 
 
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year 
UConn 
 
All-BIG EAST First Team 
Lauren Fey, Butler, Sr., 2B 
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr., P* 
Sami Barnett, UConn, R-Sr., IF 
Briana Marcelino, UConn, Gr., IF 
Elise Sokolsky, UConn, Fr., P* 
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP* 
Brooke Johnson, DePaul, Jr., 1B 
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Gr., LF 
London Jarrard, St. John's, Fr., SS 
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS 
Megan Kern, Villanova, Sr., SS 
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Gr., P 
 
All-BIG EAST Second Team 
Bri Avery, Butler, Sr., OF 
Reese Guevarra, UConn, Gr., OF 
Alexis Hastings, UConn, Fr., OF 
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS 
Sarah Lehman, DePaul, Gr., P 
Tori Meyer, DePaul, Jr., RF 
Anna Wohlers, DePaul, Fr., 3B 
Mae Forshey, Georgetown, Sr., C 
Jacque Harrington, Providence, So., C/UTIL 
Ashly Colonetta, Seton Hall, Jr., 2B 
Shelby Smith, Seton Hall, Jr., P 
Chloe Smith, Villanova, Jr., 3B 
 
*unanimous selection