Notre Dame softball: Winter is league MVP

Notre Dame junior Laura Winter was named Big East Player of the Year during the league's annual awards banquet.

Sophomore Emilee Koerner joined Winter on the first team and senior Amy Buntin received second team honors for the second straight season.

Senior Kelsey Thornton, sophomore Jenna Simon, sophomore Cassidy Whidden and freshman Micaela Arizmendi were third team picks.

The Notre Dame coaching staff was tabbed as the Coaching Staff of the Year for the seventh time in program history.

Winter led the Big East in six major statistical categories during league play, including a conference-best nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 64 at-bats. She also paced the conference with a .922 slugging percentage.

Winter, a 6-1 right-hander made just as big of an impact in the circle, posting a conference-high 14 wins while walking only four batters in 96.1 innings, striking out 115.

Koerner led the league with a .492 batting average, 26 runs and eight doubles. The Tustin, Calif. native is third in the NCAA with a .479 overall average.