Postseason Awards Preview: Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year

Erin Gallagher

The contenders:

Erin Gallagher: known for her outstanding drop and changeup, Gallagher has been a force again this year for the Hawks. Gallagher has kept the Hawks in just about every game that she has pitched in. Gallagher does not put up the dominating strikeout totals that Sara Plourde and Jen Mineau put up, but she keeps the Rams in every game and her ERA is right on par with her fellow Juniors. Gallagher also keeps the ball in the ballpark which is very important, especially heading into postseason play. Gallagher gives her team a chance to make plays and that is all you can ask from your pitcher. Gallagher gets the job done and that's why she has a shot at winning A10 pitcher of the year.

Katy Hackett

Katy Hackett: after being in the shadow of Emily Jeffery the past two seasons, Katy Hackett has really emerged as the go to pitcher for the 49ers this year. She has had an underrated career for the 49ers and it is worth noting that she pitched Charlotte to the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championship game when the tournament was last in the Queen City. Hackett does not have the velocity or dominating movement that some of the other pitchers here do, but she is a real gamer in every sense of the word. She battles with hitters relying on location as well as mixing up speeds. Charlotte has also shown that they are very confident with her out in the circle. Hackett gives Charlotte an ace that can go toe to toe with any other pitcher in the conference.

Kristen Marris

Kristen Marris: one of the most versatile players in A10: she has really taken her game to a whole other level in 2011. Marris has almost single handedly pitched Temple to the A10 tournament. Every time Coach DiPietro needed a win he sent Marris to the circle and more often than not, she delivered. Marris uses her full array of pitches, but I think that her biggest strength lies with moving the ball vertically and by changing speeds. Marris finds a way to get outs and as a result she keeps her team in the game. It will be interesting to see how far she will be able to carry her team in the A10 tournament.

Jen Mineau

Jen Mineau: after dealing with an early season injury, Mineau has really rounded into form the past couple weeks and I think she looks as good as she ever has. I have been really impressed with the way she is starting to work the lower part of the strike zone with her drop ball and she has even been mixing in a few more changeups. Fordham needs her down this stretch run and she has delivered and the way she is pitching right now I'm not sure she can be beat. Mineau has the perfect combination of movement, speed, and pinpoint accuracy not to mention her swagger in the circle. She is pitching with all of the confidence in the world right now and her team is feeding that and putting runs on the board for her.

Sara Plourde: is one of the most dominating pitchers that the conference has ever seen, while also seeing an extraordinary amount of work over the past two years. She has not been as lights as she was last year, but she may be an even better pitcher and her health seems to be much better. Plourde's curve and rise are dominating pitches, but I think the key to her success lies in her drop and change. Plourde has already recorded her 1000th career strikeout and she still has her senior season ahead of her. If all of Plourde's pitches are moving she makes UMass extremely dangerous. She is the one player who can change the complexion of the A10 tournament depending on the way she is throwing.

Sara Plourde