Vernon's Bolduk Gets Collegiate Softball Honors

WILLIMANTIC, CT — A Vernon resident was among those receiving accolades as four Eastern Connecticut State University softball players were repeat selections to the 2022 National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association all-region team with the Warriors also landing three major Little East Conference awards.

Eastern players captured nearly half of the 13 first-team All-LEC slots.

In all, nine different individuals have been recognized in the NFCA and/or conference season-ending awards program.

For the first time, this year’s New England Region was divided into two regions (Region I and Region II), with Eastern being placed in Region II along with the entire Little East Conference, as well as additional conferences.

Senior third baseman Julia SanGiovanni (East Haven), senior first baseman Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange), senior utility player Morgan Bolduk (Vernon) and graduate centerfielder Cassie Woods (Mystic) were all named first-team all-region for the second time in their careers, SanGiovanni, Matyasovsky and Woods all repeating last year’s honor while Bolduk was named to the first team as a sophomore in 2019 (she did not compete last year and no teams were chosen during the 2020 Covid season.)

Joining the above players on the All-Region II Team were first-team pitcher Alexis Michon (Montville) and third-team second baseman Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON), giving Eastern at least five selections for the fourth time in the last 13 years. It was the first all-region honor for both.

Last year, Matyasovsky was a first-team NFCA All-America pick at the at-large/DP position and the Little East Player-of-the-Year, while Woods was a second-teamer in the outfield.

This year, SanGiovanni became the program’s seventh Little East Player-of-the-Year and Michon the program’s seventh Pitcher-of-the-Year. Last year at Plymouth State University, Michon was named LEC Rookie-of-the-Year and was a second-team All-LEC selection.

Additional conference honorees – all first-teamers -- along with SanGiovanni and Michon were Matyasovsky, Bolduk, graduate rightfielder Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) and Woods. Tyrrell was named to the All-LEC team for the fourth time, Matyasovsky, SanGiovanni, Bolduk for the third time. Woods is also a three-time All-LEC selection, earning first-team recognition at Keene State College in 2019.

Rounding out the conference honorees were first-year shortstop Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA) and 21st-year head coach Diana Pepin. Rubeck was one of 13 selections to the first-ever All-Rookie Team, while Pepin landed Coach-of-the-Year honors for the sixth time. Bolduk is a former LEC Pitcher-of-the-Year and former Rookie-of-the-Year.

Winding up a record-setting career, Matyasovsky ranks second nationally in total bases (124), third in RBI (59), tied for third in home runs (15) and tied for 19th in doubles (17); SanGiovanni is first in hit-by-pitch (21) and tied for 12th in doubles (18), Woods is 11th on on-base percentage (.569) and 16th in batting average (.493), Bolduk fifth in ERA (0.74) and Michon is second in winning percentage (.957), seventh in least hits per game (3.78) and tied for 13th in wins (21).

Michon was named Most Outstanding Player of this past weekend’s Union, NJ Regional after appearing in all five of the team’s game, winning one as a starter, one as a reliever and saving one. Vilchez, named to the all-tournament team at Union and selected as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2021 LEC tournament, is 4-0 as a pitcher with a 1.16 ERA in 42 1/3 innings and is batting .374 with 19 runs, 15 RBI and ten doubles.

As a team, Eastern is ranked third nationally in ERA (1.21) and shutouts (20), tied for 5th in WHIP (0.91) and eighth in slugging (.535).

Tyrrell is batting .323 with 29 runs, 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases and has a perfect fielding percentage on 52 chances. The only first-year player in the starting lineup, Rubeck is fielding at .981 on 106 chances, having gone 33 games between errors. The program’s all-time winningest head coach, Pepin won her 500th game this year and brings an overall record of 526-287-2 into the Super Regional. She has led the Warriors to seven LEC tournament championships in the last 12 years.

This year, Woods has already set a program season record with 60 singles and her 68 hits are three shy of the record. Both SanGiovanni (18) and Matyasovsky (17) have broken the program season record for doubles. Matyasovsky’s 59 RBI are a season record, her 15 home runs and 33 extra-base hits are one shy of the season record and her 124 total bases are second all-time, 18 shy of the record. SanGiovanni broke her season record with 21 hit-by-pitch this year. Michon’s winning percentage is second all-time in a season, Vilchez’ seven saves one shy of the record, and Bolduk’s ERA is tied for the fifth-best in a season.

First-team all-region players are eligible for NFCA All-America honors, which are announced next week.