White, Strecker Headline Bears' Six All-MASCAC Softball Selections

2013 MASCAC Softball All-Conference Team (PDF)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University senior catcher Brianna Strecker (Waterford, Conn.) garnered Player of the Year honors and junior right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) was selected as the Pitcher of the Year to highlight Bridgewater State's six representatives on the 2013 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball All-Conference Team.

Joining Strecker and White on the All-MASCAC First Team are senior third baseman Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) and junior second baseman Jill Welch (Hubbardston, Mass.), while senior pitcher Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) and sophomore shortstop Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.) earned second team honors.

Strecker batted .339 with six doubles a home run and a .419 on-base percentage in leading the Bears to the MASCAC regular season title with an 11-3 conference mark as a part of a 22-14 overall record to date.  Strecker, who is making her second straight appearance on the All-MASCAC First Team, currently leads the conference in runs scored with 35, and is tied for second in the circuit in stolen bases with 15.

White earned her second straight nod as the MASCAC Pitcher of the Year as she posted 12 victories and an impressive 0.71 earned run average to go with 106 strikeouts in 127 2/3 innings of work during the regular season.  Opponents are also batting just .173 against her.  White ranks fifth in all of Division III in ERA, sixth in walks allowed per seven innings (0.65) and 13th in shutouts (8).

A three-time All-MASCAC First Team selection, Shaw leads the conference with a .386 batting average as well as a .545 slugging percentage.  She is also tied for the league lead in doubles (10) and ranks second in both on base percentage (.452) and hits (tied with 39).

Welch batted .312 with during the regular season with six doubles and a pair of home runs.  She ranks among the top ten in the MASCAC in doubles, home runs, slugging percentage (.441) and runs scored (18).

Dunn is making her second appearance on the All-MASCAC Team and first since 2011.  In 18 appearances this season, she has nine wins and four shutouts to her credit to go along with a 2.30 earned run average and 70 strikeouts.  Dunn, who is fifth all-time in BSU softball history with 281 career strikeouts, is tied for fourth in the conference this season in wins and tied for fifth in complete games and games started.

Bettencourt has started all 36 games at shortstop as she is batting .295 with 15 runs scored, ten stolen bases and a team-leading eight sacrifice bunts.  She is tied for fifth in the MASCAC in stolen bases, tied for sixth in walks (13) and is ninth in on base percentage (.391).

The BSU softball team is the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament for the first time since the 2008 season.  After a first round bye, the Bears will host either #4 Fitchburg State or #5 Salem State in second round action on Friday afternoon at four. The first round of the tournament is single elimination while the remainder of the tournament is a double-elimination format.  The tournament concludes with semifinal round play on Saturday, May 5th and the championship round on Sunday, May 6th with those games being played at Bridgewater State's Alumni Park.