MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — 

United States Coast Guard Academy senior Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) has been named the 2026 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Pitcher of the Year, as announced by the conference in their softball major awards release on Tuesday.

Walker was also one of three Bears named to the NEWMAC All-Conference teams, placing on First Team while junior outfielder Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) and freshman infielder Ella Stolarzyk (Danville, Calif.) earned Second Team nods. All major awards and All-Conference honorees are selected by NEWMAC softball head coaches.

Walker is just the second NEWMAC Pitcher of the Year in program history, etching her name next to USCGA softball legend and three-time honoree Hayley Fiendel '12. She also wraps her collegiate career as a three-time All-NEWMAC honoree, earning her initial First Team nod as a freshman in 2023 and making Second Team in 2025. The senior from Georgia compiled a 14-11 record with a league-leading 1.25 ERA, a mark that was 16th in NCAA Division III, and struck out 122 batters for the third-highest total in the NEWMAC. Walker's 5.91 hits per seven innings and 1.09 WHIP both ranked second-best in the league, and she was the only pitcher in the NEWMAC with at least 100.0 innings pitched to allow no home runs.

"When this team needed her most, Dana showed up in every way possible," says USCGA head softball coach Arielle Porter. "I'm so happy she was able to go out on a high note, leaving it all out on the field and finishing her career as Pitcher of the Year."

Coach Porter describes Schmutz as "a true competitor" as she picks up her second career All-Conference nod following last year's First Team pick. "There's no one else we would want up in clutch situations," says Porter. The Bears' resident slap hitter enjoyed another successful season in the lead-off spot by pacing the team with a .367 batting average and 44 hits. Schmutz took it up a level in NEWMAC play, batting .422 with a 1.033 OPS against in-conference foes.

"She's a true leader on and off the field, and I'm excited to watch her come back and contribute in 2027 for her senior season."

Stolarzyk made an impact in the Coast Guard batting order throughout her collegiate debut. The freshman's team-leading .422 on-base percentage supplemented her .866 OPS, which was second-best for the Bears, while her .358 batting average was the third-highest mark on the team. She hit .359 with a .815 OPS against league opponents. "Ella is an all-in team player," says Porter. "She had a fantastic freshman season, and I cannot wait to watch her continue to grow and succeed over the next three years.

The NEWMAC's full softball major awards release can be viewed here.