WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - Four members of the Williams College softball team have earned All-NESCAC honors for the 2025 season. Senior catcher Sydney Fleming and junior pitcher Sadie Leonard were named to the All-NESCAC First Team and earned the league's highest individual honors: Fleming as NESCAC Player of the Year and Leonard as NESCAC Pitcher of the Year. Junior infielder Alysa DeQuiroz and sophomore pitcher/infielder Katie Blanch were named to the All-NESCAC Second Team, with DeQuiroz receiving the first conference recognition of her career.
Katie Blanch, a sophomore from Rye, New York, has excelled as a two-way player. She posted the sixth-best ERA in the NESCAC (2.26) while also hitting consistently at the plate with a .314 batting average. This marks her second All-NESCAC selection after being named to the First Team in 2024. Head Coach Kris Herman praised her well-roundedness: "Katie has had a great year and should be proud of her season to date. Her versatility as a player on defense and offensive strength in the middle of our lineup has been a key to our success. Having Katie on our pitching staff is great, and her ability to play multiple other positions helps our team immensely."
Alysa DeQuiroz, a junior infielder from Los Angeles, California, earned her first career All-NESCAC recognition with a Second Team selection. A consistent force at the plate, she ranks among the conference's top 10 in hits (45) and runs scored (28). Head Coach Kris Herman praised both her performance and leadership, saying, "DQ is a tremendous leader as well as player. She has worked so hard to raise her offensive contributions to our team and is in the center of operations day in and day out. I'm very proud of her work and commitment to her own play as well as leading others."
Sadie Leonard, a junior pitcher from Tiburon, California, earned First Team All-NESCAC honors and was named NESCAC Pitcher of the Year for the third consecutive season. As a first-year, they were also named NESCAC Rookie of the Year, marking a decorated career that continues to impress. Leonard has been lights-out in 2025, recording a 1.11 ERA over 132 innings with 238 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .141 batting average. They lead the NESCAC in all three categories: ERA, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. Head Coach Kris Herman remarked, "Sadie has had a great year to date and is getting stronger each day. They have worked hard to continue to improve an already impressive skill set and Sadie has grown to be an even stronger leader on the field and in the dugout. The NESCAC has a lot of strong pitchers and to be selected for this award by the coaches is a great honor."
Sydney Fleming, a senior catcher from Burlingame, California, was named NESCAC Player of the Year after a historic season at the plate. She shattered school records for home runs and RBIs in both a single season and a career, and led the NESCAC in slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and OPS. This marks Fleming's third career All-NESCAC selection—she earned First Team honors in 2023 and Second Team in 2024. Head coach Kris Herman praised her impact on the Williams softball program, saying,"Sydney has had one of the best offensive seasons in Williams history and will surpass most of the all-time conference power records as well. Her clutch performances have been so fun to be a part of and even better is to be behind the scenes watching her work on her craft. Her presence behind the plate on defense has also been critical to our team success."
Together, Fleming, Leonard, Blanch, and DeQuiroz helped lead the Ephs to a 26–12 season and a bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. Their leadership and performance will be crucial to Williams' postseason success, as they open NCAA tournament play tomorrow. Tune in here.
