HADLEY, MA — Williams College senior
Kirstin Mapes (Coronoa, CA) was chosen as the 2021 New England Small College Athletic Conference's Player of the Year, it was announced today.
Mapes joined teammate Kelly McGuigan, a first-year, on the All-NESCAC First Team, while senior
Gabi Cirigliano and junior
Mara Kipnis were 2nd Team All-NESCAC Selections.
Mapes, who also picked up her third All-NESCAC honor with a spot on the First Team, went 7-1 with one save in the circle for Williams while leading the Ephs at the plate, hitting .417. She tossed 51.2 innings and registered 37 strikeouts, while also racking up a team-high 20 hits, including three home runs. Mapes is the fifth Eph to be named NESCAC Player of the Year (
Joey Lye – 2009; Allison Hart – 2012; Erica Li – 2016; Lexi Curt – 2017 & 2018).
"First, congrats to all four of them and to the way they lead their teammates with their play and heart," Ephs head coach
Kris Herman said. "I am really proud of Kirstin's work this year. We clearly would not have had the success we did without her work on both sides of the ball. Her love for this program shines through and i'm happy for her to receive this award."
McGuigan played in 11 of the Ephs' 14 games this spring, starting 11 games. She led Williams in OPS with a 1.282 mark and a .417 batting average (tied with Mapes). She also topped the squad in slugging percentage (.806) and on-base percentage (.476). She finished with three home runs and 14 RBI while scoring 10 times. She also had five doubles, a team high, and four walks on the season.
"Kelly had a great freshman year for us and was one of the top rookies in the league all told," Herman said. " Her love for the game and her teammates make her a great fit in our program. I'm excited for her and looking forward to having her around for three more seasons."
Cirigliano had a strong senior season for the Ephs, leading the team in home runs (5), total bases (37) and RBI (16). Her OPS of 1.187 was second on the team, as was her batting average of.383.
"i'm very excited for Gabi to receive this honor," Herman said. "She simply showed up and "did Gabi" each day — never too high or too low, her matter of fact nature allows her to help us win games in more than one way. She bounced back from a rocky start to her career to be a stalwart for us this senior season."
Kipnis played in 10 games this season, batting .364 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and seven RBI. Her OPS of 1.084 was 4th on the team.
"Mara's competitiveness leads her talent and vice versa," Herman said. "She's a huge part of our team success even though she played literally injured all year."
