POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced the 2019 Softball All-MAAC and Major Award winners, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Jerri Ann Orfano was named to the First Team All-MAAC as a designated player. Additionally, a program-record 11 members of the team were recognized for their achievements in the classroom with All-Academic honors.
 
Orfano, a senior from Niagara Falls, New York, finished the regular season with a team-high 21 RBI and a .308 batting average, the second-best total on the Niagara roster. Her .429 slugging percentage and .378 on-base percentage were both second to Kendall Watkins.
 
Orfano opened the season with seven hits during the team's opening stint in Hawai'i and left the Aloha State with six RBI in 13 games. Against Rider during the opening weekend of MAAC play, she tagged Broncs pitchers for four hits in and two RBI in seven at-bats.
 
Her best stretch came in the final two weeks of the regular season. At Albany on April 25, Orfano collected five hits to start off an 11-game hitting streak that saw her bat 16-38 (.421) in the team's final 12 regular season contests. In that span, the Purple Eagles went 8-4 (6-2 versus MAAC opponents) to help earn the team's first postseason berth since 2013.
 
In 2018, Kelsey Harrigan earned the Purple Eagles' lone All-MAAC postseason award after being selected to the All-Rookie Team. Niagara's last First Team honoree was Bridget Hogan, who earned the distinction as both a pitcher and third baseman in 2017.

Niagara's 11 All-Academic selections completed two semesters with a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.


2019 MAAC All-Academics: 
Sierra Bertrand                 Sr.           Accounting
Karsen Cotton                   So.          Life Sciences
Rachel Funk                        Jr.           Sport Management
Maria Gabriele                  Sr.           Human Resources
Bella Garone                      So.          Communication Studies
Morgan Genovese           Sr.           Human Resources
Heather Haberman         So.          Nursing
Kelsey Harrigan                 So.          Criminal Justice
Bailey Stayner                   Jr.           Marketing
Jennifer Timm                   Sr.           Education
Kendall Watkins                Jr.            Psychology

Niagara had nine players make the All-Academic Team in 2018.

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