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Postseason Softball NEWMAC Awards-WPI Softball-2026

Softball Collects Postseason Major Awards, Seven All-Conference Selections from NEWMAC

NEWMAC Softball Postseason Awards
WORCESTER — Following a record-breaking season that included both the NEWMAC regular season and tournament championships, the WPI softball team garnered a league-best seven all-conference selections and claimed multiple major awards as announced by the conference office Tuesday morning.
 
First-year pitcher Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) was named the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year while the WPI coaching staff of Heather Ross, Dylan Foran, Amanda Chaiyabhat and Gage Nagy earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors after guiding the Engineers to the most wins in program history.
 
Wheaton's Ella Molinari was selected as the NEWMAC Player of the Year, while Dana Walker of Coast Guard earned Pitcher of the Year honors. MIT senior Ava Ladd was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
 
WPI, currently 42-3 overall, posted a 19-1 mark in conference play en route to claiming the NEWMAC regular season title before capturing the conference tournament championship. The Engineers are now ranked No. 10 in the NFCA Division III Poll and No. 4 in the NCAA NPI rankings.
 
Merchant highlighted five first team all-conference selections for the Crimson and Gray. The rookie pitcher has enjoyed a dominant debut season in the circle, leading the NEWMAC with 24 overall victories and 11 conference wins while remaining unbeaten during the regular season. The California native has thrown 139.1 innings with 85 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA while limiting opponents to a .287 batting average. Merchant also registered 13 complete games and four shutouts in 27 appearances.
 
Junior shortstop Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) secured first team all-conference recognition in the infield and was additionally honored with the conference's Laurels of Academic Excellence award. A Computer Science major with a 4.00 GPA, Fairbairn has been one of the top offensive threats in the NEWMAC, batting .396 with 59 hits, 17 doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs and 56 RBI while adding 43 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
 
Joining Fairbairn on the first team infield was senior Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA), who turned in one of the top power-hitting seasons in program history. Nagy batted .397 with a team-best 17 home runs and 58 RBI while posting a .865 slugging percentage. Defensively, the senior first baseman committed just two errors in 286 chances for a .993 fielding percentage.
 
Sophomore outfielder Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) earned first team accolades after putting together one of the most dynamic offensive seasons in Division III softball. Latour is batting .497 with 73 hits, 64 runs scored, 15 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 40 RBI while adding 21 stolen bases as she enters NCAA Tournament play with a .571 on-base percentage and .850 slugging percentage.
 
First-year catcher Ali Chalovich (Pittsburgh, PA) rounded out WPI's first team selections after batting .362 with five home runs, 19 RBI and a .500 on-base percentage in 29 appearances. Behind the plate, Chalovich posted a .990 fielding percentage and threw out three would-be base stealers.
 
Junior pitcher Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) represented WPI on the second team after compiling a 15-3 record and 2.79 ERA across 125.1 innings in the circle. Boldebuck recorded 16 complete games and three shutouts while striking out 65 hitters during the campaign.
 
Junior outfielder Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) also collected second team recognition following a breakout offensive season. McKinney hit .377 with 43 hits, 28 RBI and 38 runs scored while stealing 21 bases in 23 attempts and posting a .448 on-base percentage.
 
WPI will be making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance after previously earning bids in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022. The Crimson and Gray captured regional championships in 2015, 2016 and 2022 and advanced to the Division III World Series in 2022 for the first time in program history.
 
NEWMAC Release
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