Medaille College sophomore pitcher and designated player Laura Kratzke has been named the AMCC Softball Player of the Year. Kratzke finished the regular season batting .381 with a .447 on-base percentage in conference play with a league-best four home runs, while also adding 17 RBI. In the circle, she earned an AMCC-best 20 wins and a staggering 249 strikeouts. She also recorded a 2.25 ERA in 217.2 innings.
Penn State Behrend junior AJ Nichols picks up AMCC Pitcher of the Year honors. Nichols finished the regular season ranked first in the conference with a 0.97 ERA and second in strikeouts (46) against AMCC opponents. She gave up the least amount of hits compared to innings pitched (50.2), while also only giving up seven earned runs in 10 appearances. Nichols finished the regular season with an 8-1 record, throwing two complete games, and ranking second overall with 15 wins.
The 2018 AMCC Newcomer of the Year is Penn State Behrend catcher/infielder Mackenzie McIntire. McIntire finished the regular season leading the conference in five categories in AMCC action: first in batting average, hits, doubles, RBIs and slugging percentage (.705). Overall, she was second in hits (54), first in doubles (14) and first in RBIs (36). McIntire recorded 20 multiple hit games and 11 multiple RBI games.
Coach of the Year honors goes to Mount Aloysius College head coach Andie Gutmann. In her first season, Gutmann led the Mounties to their first-ever conference title in program history. Mount Aloysius entered the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed before upsetting the top two seeds on their way to the title.
Click here for the complete softball all-conference team and postseason awards.