PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Little East Conference has announced its major year-end award winners in softball and UMass Dartmouth head coach
Rachael Powers and her staff have been named Coaching Staff of the Year. It marks the first LEC year-end honor for Powers, who is in her third season at the helm.
In addition to Powers, the Corsairs staff is rounded out by assistants
Kayla Kirby,
Mike Terceira and
Alex Soqui.
Currently, the Corsairs are 30-11 on the season, having gone 11-5 in conference play – which was good for second overall and a First Round bye in tournament play. UMass Dartmouth opened LEC Tournament action with a narrow 1-0 loss to sixth-seeded UMass Boston.
UMass Dartmouth – which has now won seven of its last 10 contests – went on to post a 4-1 win over fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State to advance. The Corsairs then posted a 6-0 win over top-seeded Vermont State University Castleton, before eliminating UMass Boston, 10-1 (6 inn.) on Saturday to advance to Championship Sunday. Needing two victories to claim the crown, UMD defeated fifth-seeded Rhode Island College, 2-1, before recording an 8-3 win in game two to claim their second championship title in program history.
The Corsairs have continued to put forth a strong effort across the board and rank among the Little East's best in a number of categories, including first in team batting average (.345), at-bats (1,138), hits (393), doubles (79), fewest strikeouts (110) and earned run average (2.53). Amongst the national leaders, UMass Dartmouth is first in the nation in double plays (31) and double plays per game (0.76), while ranking 33rd in doubles, 35th in hits, and 37th in earned run average.
Individually, senior third baseman
RaeLynn Perregaux – the 2026 Little East Player of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player – leads the team with a .430 batting average. She has recorded a team-high 65 hits in 151 at-bats, including a team-best 19 doubles, two triples and six home runs – also team-high's. Perregaux, who had produced 38 runs scored with 32 runs batted in, owns a .702 slugging percentage with a 1.162 OPS on the season, having started all 41 games this season. Amongst the LEC's best, Perregaux is first in assists (117), doubles, doubles per game (0.46), hits and total bases. She is currently ninth in Division III in assists, 11th in assists per game (2.85), 14th in doubles, 24th in doubles per game and 25th in hits.
The Corsairs saw five players garner All-Conference honors in 2026, including both Perregaux and sophomore pitcher
Edy Crawford on the First Team. Rookie first baseman
Bre Fontes and senior second baseman
Emma Talpey were both Second Team honorees, while Fontes and rookie pitcher
Brielle Kenney both garnered All-Rookie Team recognition.
The Corsairs were selected to the Worcester Regional for the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament and will face Stockton University on Friday, May 15 at 1:30pm. The winner of Friday's game advances to Saturday's 11am game to face the winner of the other Friday's other contest between WPI and Albertus Magnus. The losing team from each game on Friday will meet on Saturday at 1:30pm.
