Molly Rathbun Arielle Cooper
Priscilla Alicea Joe Balowski
Senior All-America right-handed pitcher Molly Rathbun of Hebron has been named Division III New England Player-of-the-Year for the second time in three seasons by the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA). Rathbun was among four Eastern athletes to be recognized regionally in the sports of softball and baseball. Rathbun was joined as a first-team All-NEISCA selection by junior third baseman Arielle Cooper of Mystic, with senior right fielder Priscilla Alicea of Stratford, gaining honorable mention honors.
In baseball, junior first baseman Joe Balowski, of Berlin, represented Eastern on the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Division III All-New England Team as one of 15 first-team selections. Fifteen players were also named to the second team and 19 to the third team.
Rathbun concluded her career as a four-time NFCA All-America and first-team All-New England Region pick; three-time Little East Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year; and the 2012 LEC Player-of-the-Year. Earlier this year, Cooper was named second-team All-America and first-team all-region, and named to the all-conference team for the second time in three seasons and as MVP of the Little East Conference tournament. Alicea was named to the all-region team and first-team all-conference this past spring for the fourth straight time.
Balowski is the only second Eastern first baseman selected in the past 10 years. A first-team all-conference pick at first base this past year, Balowski led Eastern in hitting (.371), slugging (.528), hits (66), total bases (94), RBI (37), doubles (17), and fielding percentage (.994/two errors on 361 chances).
