PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Five members of the Vermont State University Castleton softball team, along with head coach Eric Kraut, earned Little East Conference honors on Thursday afternoon, highlighted by a historic season for the Spartans both on the field and in the record book.

Makayla Walsh headlined the Spartans' honorees after a standout sophomore season. The sophomore catcher earned First Team All-LEC honors after finishing third on the team with a .337 batting average while leading the Spartans in slugging percentage at .495 and doubles with 10. Walsh also ranked third on the team with 34 hits and second with 24 RBIs. Across 32 games played with 29 starts, she scored 14 runs and continued to establish herself as one of the conference's top young players.

Senior designated player Masson Billert earned Second Team All-LEC honors following another productive season in the lineup for the Spartans. Billert posted a .288 batting average with 10 runs scored, 21 hits, and five RBIs across 26 games played and 24 starts. Over the course of her career, she compiled a .278 batting average with 60 hits, 27 runs scored, and 17 RBIs.

Senior pitcher Alex Brouillette was named a Second Team All-LEC selection after putting together one of the most thorough seasons in the conference both in the circle and at the plate. Brouillette finished the season with an 8-6 record and a 2.32 ERA across 90.2 innings pitched while striking out 90 batters and allowing only 26 walks. She appeared in 16 games, starting each one, while tossing eight complete games and one shutout. She also earned recognition from 64 Analytics, ranking fourth nationally in the Week 8 rankings. Brouillette recorded a career high 13 strikeouts against SUNY Polytechnic and cemented herself in the Spartan record book with 141 career strikeouts and 90 single season strikeouts. Offensively, she added a .267 batting average with 24 hits, 15 runs scored, and a team leading 26 RBIs. She also ranks fifth in program history with a 2.61 career ERA.

Junior pitcher Madison Gould also earned Second Team All-LEC honors after another dominant season in the circle and at the plate for the Spartans. Gould posted an 11-5 record with three shutouts and a 2.74 ERA while striking out 116 batters across 109.2 innings pitched. She appeared in 20 games with 13 starts and allowed just 20 walks throughout the season. Gould earned Little East Conference Pitcher of the Week honors twice this year and was recognized as a top-three Division III pitcher by 64 Analytics in Week 9. She also led the team offensively with a .346 batting average, totaling 36 hits and 12 RBIs. Already firmly established in the Spartan record book, Gould currently ranks third in career wins with 32, third in career strikeouts with 304, and second in career shutouts with eight with another year of eligibility left.

First-year center fielder Maddy Dudley earned Little East Conference All Rookie Team honors after making an immediate impact both defensively and offensively for the Spartans. Dudley played and started in all 33 games while batting .292 on the season. She led the team with six stolen bases while ranking fourth on the team with 33 hits and fifth with 17 RBIs. She's made several diving catches in the outfield to prevent key extra-base hits.

Kraut was named Little East Conference Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Spartans to one of their strongest seasons in recent years. In just his second season at the helm, Kraut guided Castleton to a 21-14 overall record and a 12-4 mark in conference play, securing the top seed and hosting rights for the 2026 LEC Softball Tournament. After the Spartans narrowly missed the postseason a year ago with a 17-15 overall record and 6-10 conference finish, Kraut helped engineer a remarkable turnaround that placed Castleton atop the conference standings.