MANSFIELD, Mass. (5/3/23) -  On Wednesday afternoon, the Northeast-10 Conference presented five members of the Franklin Pierce University softball program with year-end awards, led by junior Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) as the 2023 Northeast-10 Player of the Year.

Along with her top honor from the Conference, Cangiano joins senior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.) on the All-NE10 First Team. Fellow junior Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass.) was also included as a Second Team honoree, while sophomores Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) and Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) each garnered Third Team recognition.

Konopinski and Bigwood are each first-time All-Conference honorees, while Vorseth and Williams receive applause for the second straight year, having both been previously named to the All-Rookie team as freshman.

Cangiano, now on her third round of All-Conference honors, becomes the first player in program history to receive top marks from the Northeast-10. This season, as a catcher, she ranked as the conference leader in nearly every offensive category, including .444 batting average (.444), on-base percentage (.537) and slugging percentage (.854). Additionally, Cangiano also topped the leaderboards in total hits (64), runs (49), home runs (10) and RBI (54). Earlier in the campaign, Cangiano delivered a six RBI performance against Pace University, becoming the program's all-time leader in career RBI. Along the way, the Raven junior also set program records in single season RBI, as well as single game with eight against Saint Anselm College on April 19^th.

As the only senior on the list, Konopinski completed the regular season as the NE10 leader in total stolen bases (29), setting both a new single-season personal record and a career all-time program record for the category. She also contributed 25 RBI with a .385 batting average through 46 games played this season, and lands on the All-Conference First Team as an outfielder. Defensively, Konopinski finished with the second-best fielding percentage through a minimum of 50 chances (.983), and also raked in 55 individual putouts. 

In her second season with the Ravens, Haley Bigwood was also a centerpiece to the program's success this season with eight home runs, 49 runs batted in and 51 total hits. As a power hitter at the plate, Bigwood's home run and RBI totals were good for the second-most in the NE10, as she showcased 11 multi-hit performances throughout the season while being honored as the NE10 Player of the Week on one occasion back on April 3^rd.

Vorseth, as the Third Team shortstop selection, set a new single-season personal record in RBI (26), additionally connecting for 39 total hits in 139 appearances at the plate for a .283 batting average this year. She also solidified her position as a key component to the Raven infield, contributing 58 total putouts with 97 assists for a .917 fielding percentage. Williams, as one of three outfield selections to the All-NE10 Third Team, also set new PR's this season with the second-most hits on the team (56), along with four homers and 31 RBI across 48 games played. Of her hit totals, Williams led the program with 15 doubles, and also ranked third in batting average (.376) and slugging percentage (.611).

As the No. 3 seed in the Northeast-10 Championship Tournament, Franklin Pierce will open their postseason play against No. 6 Assumption University in the Second Round on Thursday, May 4^th at Noon in Garden City, New York.