SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 12, 2026) – The postseason Softball awards have been officially announced by the Conference of New England (CNE) office. The Golden Bears find four student-athletes on the list, including one major award winner, three named as part of the All-Conference teams, and one named as part of the Community Service team.

The CNE has voted Riley Kane as 2026's Pitcher of the Year. This honor comes after a career-best ERA of 2.29, which led the Golden Bears and was second in the conference. On top of that honor is the fact that Kane was also named to the conference's All-CNE First Team. The Prospect, Connecticut native, had a career year when it came to her ERA, shutouts (3), strikeouts (85), and opposing batting average (.228). She led the Golden Bears and the league in innings pitched, with 140.2. She was third in the CNE for opposing batting average and was tied for fifth in the CNE for strikeouts, with 85. 36 of those strikeouts were looking, which was tied for the second most in the CNE.

Joining Kane in earning all-conference accolades is Marley Rodriguez, who was named to the All-Conference Third Team at second base. Rodriguez, who led the Golden Bears in hits this season with 47, was a key part of the success the Golden Bears had. Rodriguez also led the team with 13 doubles and 2 home runs. The junior from Austin, Texas, also was second in batting average (.356) and RBIs (17). When it comes to conference rankings, Rodriguez was sixth in the conference for hits and tied for fifth for doubles during the 2026 season.

WNE's leader in batting average also finds a spot on the All-Conference Third Team. Katelyn Bailey led the Golden Bears with a .381 batting average this season, starting at third base for the squad. Bailey recorded 37 hits, including 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs, and had 15 RBIs. She led the team in both triples and home runs. The sophomore from North Branford, Connecticut, recorded a .577 slugging percentage and a .487 on-base percentage, which both led the team. Bailey placed fifth in the conference in on-base percentage. She drew 17 walks, which led the team and were tied for sixth-most in the conference.

The Golden Bears also see senior Evelyn Picone get placed on the CNE's Community Service Team. The conference is committed to recognizing those in the CNE who give back to the community. Each member institution's coach names a student-athlete in their sport for the Community Service team. Picone earns the nomination from Coach Novak due to her community outreach on and off campus. The senior is widely known throughout WNE as an academic progress monitor, student-athlete advisory committee representative, captain's council member, life skills mentor, and research assistant in the psychology department. Outside of WNE, she volunteers with the Springfield Charter International School and passes along her love for the sport of Softball by coaching a youth team.