Army West Point Athletics
Ashton White Named Preseason Player of the Year, Four Named to All-League Preseason Team
January 29, 2026 | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Army West Point softball received multiple Patriot League preseason honors on Thursday, including one major award, four preseason team selections and a No. 2 finish in the preseason poll.
The Black Knights receive the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll, with all votes coming from coaches throughout the league. The team received two first-place votes, only trailing the 2025 Patriot League Champion, Boston University.
The Black Knights finished the 2025 season with a 35-22 overall record and a 16-2 conference record, earning them the 2025 Patriot League regular season title. The sixteen conference wins set a program record for the most Patriot League wins in a season.
Senior infielder Ashton White received the biggest preseason award, being named the 2026 Patriot League Player of the Year. She was also named to the preseason team alongside three of her teammates: senior infielder Taylor Brown, junior pitcher Katelyn Flanders and sophomore utility player Annie Christiana.
White receives the award for the second consecutive season. The senior was named the 2025 Patriot League Player of the Year after leading the Black Knights during the season in nearly every offensive category, including a .389 batting average, 1.000 OPS, .568 slugging percentage, 74 hits, 14 doubles, 21 extra-base hits, and 42 RBIs. She also posted a .432 on-base percentage, added 33 runs and drew 14 walks.
Preseason All-League Team
Ashton White (Infielder) – The senior led the Black Knights in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, and extra-base hits. She was also the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year.
Taylor Brown (Infielder) – The senior infielder finished the 2025 regular season leading the team in runs (40), plus was second on the team in batting average (.373). She also led the Black Knights in on-base percentage (.436) and walks (18). She earned Patriot League Player of the Week honors twice and was a Preseason All-League Team selection in 2025.
Katelyn Flanders (Pitcher) – The junior ace posted a 2.22 ERA in the 2025 regular season, second-best in the league, with 84 strikeouts. She also held opponents to a league-low .209 batting average.
Annie Christiana (Outfielder) – The sophomore made an immediate impact in her freshman season, hitting .333 with 51 hits, 30 runs, and 17 RBIs. She led the team with 10 stolen bases and earned a league-high three Rookie of the Week awards.
2026 Patriot League Softball Preseason Poll
1.Boston University – 35 (5 first-place votes)
2. Army West Point – 32 (2)
3. Lehigh – 26
4. Bucknell – 18
5. Colgate – 17
6. Holy Cross – 10
7. Lafayette – 9
2026 Patriot League Softball Preseason Major Awards
Preseason Player of the Year – Ashton White, Army West Point, Sr., INF
Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Kasey Ricard, Boston University, Sr., P
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University, Sr., INF
2026 Patriot League Softball Preseason All-League Team
Ashton White, Army West Point, Sr., INF
Taylor Brown, Army West Point, Sr., INF
Katelyn Flanders, Army West Point, Jr., P
Annie Christiana, Army West Point, So., UTL
Kasey Ricard, Boston University, Sr., P
Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University, Sr., INF
Megan Coyle, Boston University, Sr., INF
Kylie Doherty, Boston University, Jr., OF
Brooke Popella, Bucknell, Jr., INF
Annalisa Raffelli, Colgate, So., INF
Peyton Sward, Lehigh, Jr., INF
Kelly Fricker, Lehigh, So., OF
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.
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