Mable, Velasquez earn 1st-Team NEC spots

Mable, Velasquez tabbed to All-NEC First Team

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After finishing the 2012 season as the top performer at their respective positions, Bryant University softball players Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) and Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) were named to the All-Northeast Conference First Team, the league announced Thursday.

Both players enjoyed outstanding seasons at both the plate and in the field, helping the program eclipse the 20-win mark for the second straight season following a 25-win campaign in 2011. After combining for just 19 victories in its first two years at the Division I level, Bryant has totaled 45 victories over the past two seasons and earned a second-place and fifth-place finish in the league in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Mable, a 2011 second team honoree, led the league with a .478 on-base percentage and placed fourth in the league in runs scored (35) and batting average (.367). The Colorado native went 47-for-128 at the plate, leading the squad in hits, triples (3) and home runs (seven) for a team-high .664 slugging percentage. The sophomore shortstop drove in 26 runs, a team high, and went 5-for-6 in stolen bases. She totaled 79 putouts and 118 assists as the commander of the Bulldog infield.

Velasquez, a freshman out of the Golden State, was right in front of her fellow first teamer as she held the league's third-best batting average (.385) while posting a .411 in-conference batting average. The rookie needed little time to adjust to the college game and appeared in 42 contests while starting 40. She went 45-for-117 at the dish and scored 21 runs, ranking third on the squad in that category. Velasquez launched a team-high 12 doubles and ripped two homers while driving in 19 runs to the tune of a .538 slugging percentage. She went 2-for-4 on the base paths and made just five errors in left field while accumulating five outfield assists.

Both underclassmen become the first-ever players in program history to earn first-team all-conference honors. They help comprise a group of six returning starters that will help lead the Bulldogs next season when they become eligible for postseason play for the first time at the Division I ranks.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University softball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also be sure to follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.