Carr Named Pitcher of the Year, Wingo Top Defender as All-BIG EAST Awards Announced - Seton Hall University Athletics
The trio of Angie Churchill , Laura Messina and Emily Schaffer were named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Angie Churchill and staff named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year; Carr, Wingo and Shelby Smith named All-BIG EAST First Team
NEW YORK – The Pirates received three major postseason awards as the BIG EAST announced its All-Conference awards on Tuesday afternoon. Kelsey Carr (Ridgewood, N.Y.) was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, while Abby Wingo (Portland, Ore.) received Defensive Player of the Year honors. The trio of Angie Churchill, Laura Messina and Emily Schaffer were named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Additionally, Carr and Wingo were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team alongside Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas). This marks the first time since 2015 in which three Pirates were named to the First Team.
Carr becomes the first Pirate to ever be named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year. The junior led the conference with a 1.82 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched during BIG EAST play in 2023. Of her nine games started during league play, Carr went the distance in eight of them, collecting a pair of complete game shutouts in the process. After missing the entire 2022 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery, Carr was dominant from start to finish in the circle as the ace of the Pirates' pitching staff. The junior opened BIG EAST play with an 11-strikeout performance allowing just one run in a 3-1 win over UConn back on March 12, earning her Pitcher of the Week honors from the conference. She was once again named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on April 3 after pitching 10 scoreless innings across Seton Hall's sweep of St. John's. Carr, who was also unanimously named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, was a star at the plate as well as she posted a .339 average with six home runs and a league-leading 28 RBI.
Wingo earns Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 31 chances during conference play. The senior started all 24 games of BIG EAST play in center field for the Pirates, patrolling the outfield and showcasing her range across the year. Wingo's 31 defensive chances ranked third among BIG EAST outfielders and first among primary center fielders. In the fifth year of the award, Wingo becomes the first Pirate to be named the BIG EAST's top defensive player. She was also named to the All-BIG EAST First Team as her stellar defense complemented her strong production at the plate. Wingo batted .371 during conference play with three home runs and 15 RBI, and set a program record with a 19-game hitting streak earlier this season.
Churchill, Messina and Schaffer received the honor of the BIG EAST's top coaching staff as they guided this Pirates program to their best season in nearly two decades. Picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll, Seton Hall tallied 18 victories during conference play, its most ever in a season. Those 18 wins resulted in a tie for second place in the league standings and the program's first trip to the BIG EAST Tournament since 2015. The team has also broken overall single-season team records for runs scored (303) and RBI (279), and are flirting with new team records for batting average and hits. The Pirates' 38 wins on the season are their most since 2004, and the team will finish with an overall record above .500 for the first time since 2006. Team stats from last season to this season improved drastically, as the Pirates' batting average during BIG EAST play was 27 points higher in 2023 than the year before.
Smith gave the Pirates their third All-BIG EAST First Team honoree after a strong season in the circle and at the plate in 2023. Smith compiled a 6-3 record in league action with a 3.52 ERA, finishing second in the conference with 59 strikeouts. The senior also was a force at the plate, posting a .339 batting average with four home runs and 14 RBI. Smith had four double-digit strikeout games on the season, including a pair in conference play against St. John's and Villanova. Her season highlight came on April 22nd when she tossed the 21st no-hitter in Seton Hall history in an 11-1 win at Providence.
2023 BIG EAST Softball Regular Season Awards
BIG EAST Softball Player of the Year: Tess Cites, Jr., OF, Villanova
BIG EAST Softball Pitcher of the Year: Kelsey Carr, Jr., P/INF, Seton Hall
BIG EAST Softball Defensive Player of the Year: Abby Wingo, Sr., OF, Seton Hall
BIG EAST Softball Freshman of the Year: Grace Jenkins, Fr., C, UConn
BIG EAST Softball Coaching Staff of the Year: Seton Hall
Head Coach: Angie Churchill
Assistant Coaches: Laura Messina & Emily Schaffer
First Team All-BIG EAST
Names appear in alphabetical order
Kelsey Carr, Jr., P/INF, Seton Hall*
Sydney Carter, So., INF, Butler*
Tess Cites, Jr., OF, Villanova*
Ava Franz, So., INF, Villanova
Lexi Hastings, So., OF, UConn*
Brooke Johnson, Sr., 1B, DePaul
Payton Kinney, Jr., P, UConn
Cameron Kondo, Gr., OF, Georgetown*
Cayla Nielsen, Jr., OF, Creighton*
Shelby Smith, Sr., P, Seton Hall
Abby Wingo, Sr., OF, Seton Hall
Anna Wohlers, So., 3B, DePaul*
Second Team All-BIG EAST
Paige Dorsett, INF, R-So., Butler
Mae Forshey, Gr., INF/C, Georgetown
Kat Gallant, Fr., P, Villanova
Mackenzie Griman, Sr., P/INF, Butler
Jacque Harrington, Jr., INF/UT, Providence
Ryan Henry, Gr., C/DP, Villanova
Aziah James, Gr., OF, UConn
Ally Jones, Sr., C, Villanova
Grace Jenkins, Fr., C, UConn
Cate Lehner, Fr., OF, Butler
Victoria Sebastian, Sr., 1B, Villanova
Kailey Wilson, Gr., INF, Creighton
*Denotes unanimous selection
