ECAC Release (.PDF)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kate Pratt Named ECAC Division II Softball Player of the Year

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Mansfield shortstop Kate Pratt has been named the 2013 Division II Softball Player of the Year by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

The ECAC is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports. It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois

An All-American selection, Pratt led the Mountaineers and ranked eighth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in batting average at .396. The junior was 15^th in the nation in home runs with an MU school record 17 round-trippers. Her .43 homers per game average was the best amongst all NCAA Division II players in 2013.

Pratt led the conference and ranked seventh in the nation in slugging percentage at .888. Her 50 RBIs were the second most in the PSAC and set an MU single-season record.

As a pitcher, Pratt posted an 8-7 record with a 2.33 ERA. She tossed seven complete games with a shutout and totaled 68 strikeouts on the season.

Pratt adds the ECAC Player of the Year honor to her lengthy list of awards in 2013 which include: NFCA 2^nd Team All-American, NFCA 1^st Team All-Atlantic Region, PSAC Central Player of the Year and All-PSAC Central Shortstop.

Mountaineer softball earned a share of its first division title in program history in 2013 and made its first trip to the PSAC Playoffs since 2009. Mansfield's 25 wins this season were the most since 2004 when the Mounties won 27 games on their way to an ECAC Championship.