-- Release adapted from NFCA --
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One hundred and twenty student-athletes, including six from the Northeast-10, were revealed as part of the 2024 Tucci/NFCA Division II Players and Pitchers of the Year watchlist Thursday.
The list is broken down into the eight NCAA Regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West) with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each region. The list is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.
Headlining the list are 25 returning NFCA All-Americans, six from the first team. In all, the group consists of 85 programs from 21 different conferences.
Voted on by the NFCA's Division II All-American Committee, the 2024 Tucci/NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on May 27 following the conclusion of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.
The Player of the Year award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year.
The NE10 players on the Watch List are detail below.
Ashley Cangiano, Franklin Pierce (Sr., OF/C)
The 2023 NE10 Player of the Year, Cangiano was an All-America First Team selection and ranks as the all-time RBI leader in Ravens history. The North Attleboro, Mass. native is a Sports and recreation Management major at FPU.
Payton Doiron, Bentley (Sr., P)
A senior from Beacon Falls, Conn., Doiron is Bentley's career strikeout leader. She was named All-NE10 First Team in 2023 and set the school record for wins and K's in a single season. Payton earned two wins in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and is an Economics-Finance and Liberal Studies major.
Gisselle Garcia, Pace (Jr., P)
The all-time stirkeout leader at Pace, Garcia has spent uch of this season leading the NCAA's DII in K/7IP. Garcia was All-NE10 First Team last season and K'd 216 batters. She is a Criminal Justice major from Lemon Grove, Calif.
Lindsey Hibbs, Adelphi (Sr., P)
An All-American in 2023, Hibbs returns this spring as the NE10 Pitcher of the Year and is the all-time strikeout leader in Panthers hsitory. Hibbs led the NCAA in ERA and strikeouts last season.
Brianna Shea, Pace (Jr., INF)
A junior from Oceanside, Calif., Shea led Pace in games played last season en route to an Academic All-District selection. A .300 career hitter, Shea is batting over .440 to begin the 2024 campaign.
Courtney Wengryn, Adelphi (rJr., OF)
A junior from Hillsborough, N.J., Wengryn is a 2023 Third Team All-American. The outfielder led the team in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases last season. Wengryn is a Psychology major at Adelphi.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
