MEDFORD, MA (May 13, 2026) – Defensive Player of the Year
Haley Leimbach and Rookie of the Year
Paige Murphy, along with five All-Conference recipients, make up the Tufts University softball team's league-best haul of honors as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) released its 2026 Awards on Wednesday.
Tufts' four players who earned All-Conference first team recognition is the most in NESCAC. Along with Murphy at shortstop, senior DP
Lauryn Horita, junior catcher/infielder
Heaven Oliva and senior OF
Kaitlyn Perucci are on the first team. First-year pitcher
Avery Kanouse received second team recognition, giving the Jumbos the most overall All-Conference awards with five.
Leimbach has played an outstanding first base for the Jumbos, with some time at third base as well. Her 305 put-outs lead NESCAC to go with 16 assists as part of 323 total chances on which she has made just two errors for a .994 field goal percentage. She is a nominee for the national Rawlings Gold Glove honor. Leimbach is Tufts' ninth Defensive Player of the Year award winner in the 16 seasons that NESCAC has presented the honor.
Murphy has settled into the third spot of the batting order in her first collegiate season, and is fourth in the league with a .450 batting average. In addition to leading NESCAC with 16 doubles, she has other top 10 marks for slugging (.671), on-base percentage (.503), runs scored (38) and home runs (5). Her 122 assists at short lead the conference. Murphy is Tufts' 11th Rookie of the Year overall, but the first field player to win the honor since Raven Fournier in 2015.
Perucci earns an All-Conference first team honor for the third straight season (2024-26). The center fielder is hitting at a .379 mark this season, and is among the league leaders with five home runs, 36 runs, 34 runs batted in for 40 games.
Oliva leads NESCAC with her 12 home runs and 46 runs batted in while hitting .415. Handling the majority of time behind the plate as the season has headed down the stretch, she has thrown out a league-best 14 would-be base stealers. This is her second NESCAC honor, including a second-team award in 2024.
Horita took over the lead-off role in the batting order this year and is hitting .351 with three home runs, 37 runs scored and 35 runs batted in, with the last two numbers being top five NESCAC marks. This is her first All-Conference award.
In her first season, Kanouse emerged as the team's game-one starter throughout the NESCAC season. She has produced a 12-3 record overall for the third-most victories in the league, to go with a 2.70 earned run average in 106.1 innings.
Head coach
Lauren Ebstein's Jumbos are 30-10 overall and ranked at #18 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll. The Jumbos, who were the #1 seed for the conference regular-season at 14-4, are hosting an NCAA Regional at Spicer Field this week.
See the full 2026 NESCAC Softball Awards
HERE.
--JUMBOS--
