BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Boston University claimed two of the three Patriot League softball weekly awards when the League office announced the honors on Monday, while Colgate earned Rookie of the Week recognition.
Boston University junior outfielder Kylie Doherty was named Patriot League Player of the Week after batting a team-high .375 with five RBIs, highlighted by a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning of a 2–1 victory against No. 16/19 Duke.
Boston University senior pitcher Kasey Ricard earned Patriot League Pitcher of the Week honors after going 3–1 with 29 strikeouts and just four walks, throwing 21 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run in wins over CSU Bakersfield, Maryland and No. 16/19 Duke.
Colgate first-year infielder Marina Taveras was selected as Patriot League Rookie of the Week after batting .357 (5-for-14) with a 1.295 OPS, two home runs, four runs scored and four RBIs in the first five games of her collegiate career.
Colgate junior outfielder Nora Megenity, Army West Point senior outfielder Taylor Brown, Army West Point senior pitcher Breanna Izzo, Bucknell freshman pitcher Avery Powers and Lehigh first-year infielder Kyra Neiswender earned honorable mention recognition.
The Patriot League softball players of the week are selected in a vote by each school’s head softball coach, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
Softball Player of the Week
Kylie Doherty, Boston University, Jr., OF, Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional
*Doherty batted a team-high .375 with five RBIs, highlighted by a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to secure a 3–0 win over CSU Bakersfield.
*The junior went 2-for-3 against No. 16/19 Duke, launching a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning of a 2–1 victory.
*Doherty finished 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored against Buffalo.
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kasey Ricard, Boston University, Sr., P, Littleton, Mass./Littleton
*Ricard went 3–1 with 29 strikeouts and just four walks, tossing 21 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run in wins over CSU Bakersfield, Maryland and No. 16/19 Duke.
*Ricard threw complete-game shutouts against Maryland and Duke on the same day, including a 13-strikeout, one-hit performance to tie the Patriot League record for career shutouts (31).
*The senior earned Boston University’s first ranked win since 2023 with a seven-strikeout effort.
Softball Rookie of the Week
Marina Taveras, Colgate, Fy., INF, Fort Worth, Tex./Aledo
*Taveras batted .357 (5-for-14) with a 1.295 OPS, two home runs, four runs scored and four RBIs in the first five games of her collegiate career.
*The first-year helped Colgate to opening weekend wins over North Dakota State (8–6) and UMass (3–2).
*Taveras launched her first collegiate home run in her first collegiate at-bat to spark the season-opening victory over North Dakota State.
Honorable Mentions
Nora Megenity, Colgate, Jr., OF, Atlanta, Ga./Milton
Megenity batted .533 (8-for-15) with a 1.289 OPS, adding a double, a home run and three RBIs during Colgate’s 2–3 opening weekend. She hit a home run in her first at-bat of the season and delivered a walk-off single in the eighth inning to defeat UMass, 3–2.
Taylor Brown, Army West Point, Sr., OF, Pembroke Pines, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy
Brown hit .462 (6-for-13) with a double, four runs scored and two RBIs, posting a .500 on-base percentage across the weekend. She recorded three hits and three runs scored in Sunday’s win over Delaware after adding two hits and an RBI in Saturday’s victory.
Breanna Izzo, Army West Point, Sr., P, Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge
Izzo went 2–0 with a 2.05 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 13.2 innings, holding opponents to a .130 batting average. She tossed a five-inning no-hitter with five strikeouts in a run-rule win over Delaware.
Avery Powers, Bucknell, Fr., P, Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep
Powers struck out 20 batters in 14 innings at the East Texas A&M Leadoff, earning a complete-game victory over St. Bonaventure with 13 strikeouts. Her 13 strikeouts marked the most by a Bucknell pitcher in a single game since 2020.
Kyra Neiswender, Lehigh, Fy., INF, Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown Area
Neiswender went 3-for-4 with two RBI doubles in her collegiate debut against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and added two RBIs in a win over Stony Brook.
Player of the Week
2.9 – Kylie Doherty, Boston University, Jr., OF
Pitcher of the Week
2.9 – Kasey Ricard, Boston University, Sr., P
Rookie of the Week
2.9 – Marina Taveras, Colgate, Fy., INF
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.