Four of Keene State’s athletes received a weekly award from the Little East Conference (LEC) on Monday, March 24. These awards covered the performance of those athletes throughout the week of March 17 to March 23. Each of these athletes in their sports were among the top performers in the conference in certain categories.
For the KSC Softball team, first-year catcher Abby Weiterman received the “Rookie of the Week” award. The first-year maintained a batting average of .355 throughout the week while also hammering eight RBIs while the Owls were playing their first nine games in Florida. As of now, Weiterman is tied for second in runs with 10 and is sixth on the team in hits.
The softball team is 8-4, and the first-year from Wisconsin has made an impact with efforts that have gotten recognition from the Little East conference.
Baseball also had an athlete receive the “Rookie of the Week” award. First-year infielder Anthony DiGiacomo earned recognition after batting .375 with two doubles throughout the four game week. DiGiacomo also racked up four RBI’s and two runs in the four game stretch. DiGiacomo attributed the early success to focusing on details and being prepared for every game and any situation.
“I like being prepared every day and showing up ready to work. I take my time to focus on the small things, especially with my swing and other stuff like that. It’s the little things like that which allow me to play well,” DiGiacomo said.
The first-year is currently seventh on the team in hits and has also hit a home run early in the season. The Keene State baseball team is currently 8-10 and will have to face a tough conference opponent in Western Connecticut to get back on the winning train. The first-year added that the team’s culture throughout the season has positively impacted his own performance.
“All the guys on the team just being there for you, you are not as afraid to mess up and it gives you more confidence to play how you normally would. Our team kind of has a summer-ball feel where everybody is loose and there is not a lot of tension,” DiGiacomo added.
The last team whose athletes received LEC recognition was the men’s lacrosse team. They had two players who received conference awards, the first being sophomore defenseman Ty Cougler, who was awarded “Defensive Player of the Week.” Last season, Cougler played long stick midfielder (LSM), which is not predominantly a defensive position, but this season the sophomore has converted to a solely defensive spot.
“I played ‘close-D’ in high school, and the only difference is with ‘close-D’ you’re on the field almost the entire game and with LSM you’re running on and off the field so it’s not as many reps. Being on the field all the time helps getting ground balls, causing turnovers and just helping the team,” Cougler said.
The sophomore was awarded the defensive play of the week after causing six turnovers, three of which led to goals, in KSC’s dominating victory over Eastern Connecticut. The switch to a more defensive role has helped Cougler stand out on defense, and Coach Mark Theriault says that the switch has worked out great for Cougler as well as the team.
“He has adjusted really well. Even in the last game against Eastern Connecticut, he had six caused turnovers, which is phenomenal. He is doing a really great job with it,” Theriault said.
The other men’s lacrosse player that was recognized was senior goalie Dylan Florian who was awarded “Goalie of the Week.” Florian received the same award previously this season and the senior is currently seventh in the conference in save percentage. The senior goalie attributed the early recognition to the preparation done in the offseason as well as the efforts put in during the season.
“Over the fall, I did a lot of running and tried to get in as good of shape as possible. Reaction time is definitely correlated with being in shape. Coming back after a 10-year gap, I tried to get in good shape over the fall,” Florian said. “During the season, I’ve been trying to keep a strong mindset and just focusing on the next shot, trying to communicate with the defense but also just trying to see the ball as much as possible,” Florian added.
Florian is a nontraditional college athlete, as he is 31 years old and returning after a 10-year break. Theriault said he was excited with Florian’s return to the field and has loved his contribution to the team morale as well as the goalie’s impressive play.
“It was a little bit of a gift this summer when he called me and said he was thinking about coming back and pursuing his master’s degree. In the locker room he’s great, he is a leader but I really feel his life experiences definitely translate over to being a mature person in the locker room,” Theriault said.
Early into the spring season, these four athletes have received a weekly award for their efforts in just one week. Each week KSC athletes receive recognition from the Little East Conference, which can be found on the conference website.
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
