Lydia Ritchie Tabbed To AAC Softball Second Team

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina senior RHP Lydia Ritchie has been named to the American Athletic Conference Second Team, according to a release by the league Wednesday. The awards were voted on by the conference's seven head coaches.

Ritchie's selection marks the first all-conference nod for the Pirates since joining the AAC prior to the 2015 season.

Ritchie compiled a 16-15 record with a 2.61 earned run average and 138 strikeouts in 203.2 innings pitched. She also limited opposing hitters to a .257 batting average. In the AAC statistical rankings, Ritchie finished the regular season first in innings pitched, appearances and games started, second in strikeouts, looking strikeouts and wins, sixth in earned run average and seventh in opposing batting average.

Additionally, Ritchie produced 20 complete games and tossed six complete-game shutouts.

In conference games only, Ritchie finished first in games started, appearances and innings pitched as well as second in strikeouts and fourth in wins.

Tulsa collected two of the four major accolades as Emily Watson garnered American Pitcher of the Year honors and the Hurricane coaching staff was voted Coaching Staff of the Year. Shelby Miller of Houston and Memphis' Lindsay Crowdus were tabbed American Players of the Year. Houston claimed an additional award with freshman Arielle James being named American Rookie of the Year.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Shelby Miller, Houston
Lindsay Crowdus, Memphis

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Emily Watson, Tulsa*

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Arielle James, Houston

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR
Tulsa*

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
P – Cheyenne Eggens, USF
P – Emily Watson, Tulsa*
C – Cassady Brewer, UCF
1B – Shelby Miller, Houston
2B – Arielle James, Houston
3B – Maggie Withee, Tulsa*
SS – Kyler Trosclair, Memphis
OF – Maya Thomas, Houston
OF – Lindsay Crowdus, Memphis
OF – Kristen Wyckoff, USF*
DP/UTL (Pitcher) – Savannah Heebner, Houston
DP/UTL (Non-Pitcher) – Kyra Klarkowski, UCF*

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
P – Alea White, UCF
P – Lydia Ritchie, East Carolina
C – Regan Hadley, Memphis
IF – Courtney Rotton, UCF
IF –Brittany Solis, UCF
IF – Carli Cutler, UConn
IF –Lauren Evans, USF
OF – Linnea Goodman, UCF
OF – Willow Kalinen, UCF
OF - Astin Donovan, USF
DP/UTL (Pitcher) – Haley Meinen, Tulsa
DP/UTL (Non-Pitcher) – N/A

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Jazmine Esparza, UCF
Kyra Klarkowski, UCF
Alea White, UCF*
Carli Cutler, UConn
Arielle James, Houston
Trystan Melancon, Houston
Erin Parker, Memphis
Bethaney Keen, USF

[*] Denotes unanimous selection

Players Mentioned

Lydia Ritchie

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