Hmmm.  So, it appears that I neglected to write up the final wrap-up of our 2025 softball season back in October/November.  In fairness, it was a pretty rough season for the EPs record-wise, so one could be forgiven for wanting to scrub it from memory.  But if I'm being honest, it was mostly just procrastination.  Better late than never, I guess!

So how'd we do in 2025?  Um, we play for fun, right?  Wins don't matter?  Love of the game, and all that?  😳  Here's how last season went down:

• Our final overall record was 6-16. 
• We only suffered two rainouts all year, and had one bye week, where we had no game scheduled.
• At home (Cove Park/DMV in Wethersfield), we finished 3-7.  As the visiting team, we were 3-9.
• On Wednesdays, we were 0-2.  On Thursdays, we were 5-11.  On Saturdays, we were 1-3.
• By month, we were:  0-1 in April;  2-3 in May;  2-2 in June;  0-2 in July;  2-5 in August;  and 0-3 in September.
• Versus our opponents, from best to worst, we were:  2-0 vs. Line Drivers;  1-0 vs. Bisons;  3-1 vs. E.coli Happens; 0-2 vs. Fighting Plankton;  0-2 vs. Caught Lookin';  0-2 vs. No Glove, No Love;  0-3 vs. inDRStructible;  0-3 vs. Acid Reign;  0-3 vs. The Dream Team.

🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎

So how does that compare to our past seasons?  Well, since the beginning of the 2014 season (as far back as our records go), we have gone:

• 2025:  6-16;  2024:  9-14;  2023:  8-15;  2022:  14-9;  2021:  9-13;  2020:  7-8;  2019:  10-12-1;  2018:  8-15;  2017:  11-13;  2016:  12-12;  2015:  6-12-2;  2014:  4-11. 
• Including the 2025 season, our all-time record is now 104-150-3.  (We are 15-1 all-time in terms of forfeit wins/losses, so our overall on-field record is actually 89-149-3.)  That's an average season record of 9-13.
• At home, we are 58-63-1 all-time;  on the road, we are 46-87-2 all-time.
• On Sundays, we are 2-0 all-time;  on Tuesdays, we are 9-22;  on Wednesdays, we are 6-16; on Thursdays, we are 81-99-3;  and on Saturdays, we are 6-13.
• All-time (in alphabetical order), we are:  7-7 vs. Acid Reign;  3-5 vs. Alaskan Brothers;  1-0 vs. Amortization Bases;  0-2 vs. Balls Deep;  15-2 vs. Bisons;  5-15 vs. Caught Lookin';  1-0 vs. Colt Brass-Kickers;  2-5 vs. Datapay Payroll;  12-6-2 vs. E.coli Happens;  1-4-1 vs. Eminent Domain;  12-12 vs. Fighting Plankton From Hell;  1-0 vs. GHISL All-Stars;  0-2 vs. Half-Empty Pitchers;  2-0 vs. Half-Full Pitchers;  6-19 vs. inDRStructible (aka The Taxman);  4-0 vs. Line Drivers;  2-5 vs. New Britain Bar Association Master Batters;  0-11 vs. No Glove, No Love;  3-0 vs. No Hit, Sherlock;  1-3 vs. Norma's Cafe;  3-19 vs. Pretty Reckless (aka Hartford Stars, aka Capital Stars);  2-0 vs. Regulators;  4-1 vs. Rocky Hill Vets (aka Diamondbacks);  3-9 vs. Throwin' Shade (aka Scared Hitless, aka The Oddballs);  1-7 vs. Softballa$;  3-14 vs. The Dream Team;  5-0 vs. The Grass Stains;  1-0 vs. The Justice League;  3-1 vs. The Planets;  1-1 vs. Victorious Secret.

🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎

Here are our 2025 season stats leaders (male & female leaders):

• Batting champion (minimum 10 plate appearances):  Rob Fayle, .768 batting average;  Jae Macon-Williams, .324 BA
• Homerun champion:  Rob Fayle, 3;  n/a
• Most runs scored:  Eric Lui, 42;  Jocelyn Beaulieu, 10
• Most rbi:  Rob Fayle, 40;  Jocelyn Beaulieu, 13
• Most hits:  Eric Lui, 47;  Jocelyn Beaulieu, 18
• Most doubles:  Rob Fayle/Joe Spring, 10;  n/a
• Most triples:  Rob Fayle, 5;  n/a
• ERA champion (minimum 10 innings pitched):  Eric Lui, 19.36;  n/a
• Most wins:  Ron Hoehne, 3;  n/a
• Most saves:  n/a;  n/a
• Most strikeouts:  Ron Hoehne, 8;  n/a

🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎

Some other interesting facts:

• Only 24 players took at least one at-bat for the EPs this season, our lowest total on record.  By comparison, 29 players got into a game in 2024, 25 players batted in 2023, a whopping 35 in 2022, 28 players suited up for the EPs in 2021, while 29 players took the field in Covid-shortened 2020.
• Only Mike played in all 22 games this season.  Others playing in 20+ games this year include:  Eric (21) and Ron (20).
• Rookie EPs included (by games played):  Fausto Rodas (13), Chelsea Pantano (4), Dax Bennett (1), Jaden Lukacs (1), and Connie Misiti (1).
• Five pitchers were used over the course of the season (by innings pitched):  Ron (80.1), Eric (35.1), Rob (8.1), Fausto (6.2), and Mike (1.0).
• As a team in 2025, the EPs batted a paltry .459 for the season, with 10 homeruns and 227 runs scored in 22 games.  That's waaaaay down from past seasons.  In 2024, the EPs hit .516 for the season, with 21 homeruns and 314 runs scored in 23 games.  In 2023, we hit .476, with 19 homers and 270 runs in 23 games.  In 2022 we hit .502, with 43 homers and 346 runs in 23 games.  In 2021 we hit .493, with 28 homers and 281 runs in 22 games.  So, with the dramatic decrease in production last year, it's no wonder that we only won 6 games!  💩
• The EPs averaged only 10.32 runs per game in 2025.  Again, that's a big decrease from our past production!  We put up 13.65 rpg in 2024.  In 2023, we averaged 11.74 rpg;  in 2022, we averaged 15.04 rpg;  in 2021, we averaged 12.77 rpg.

🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎  🥎

If you can think of any further information that you would like to see, feel free to let me know!  

  Okay, that's it!  The polls are now closed for the 2025 Empty Pitchers Post-Season Survey!  The ballots have been cast, and the votes have been counted!  All that's left to do is announce the winners, so that they may be forever enshrined in EP lore!  So read 'em and weep!

Here are your 2025 EP award winners:

1.  Which Empty Pitcher was our male Rookie of the Year?  [1 voter abstained.]

1. Dax Bennett - 1 vote (9%)
2. Jaden Lukacs - 1 vote (9%)
3. Fausto Rodas - 9 votes (82%)  🏆

Comment:  Kevin Griffin won this award in 2024;  Nick Travali won in 2023;  Carlos Delgado in 2022;  Nick Dionne in 2021;  Christian Schunmann in 2020;  Dan Ronin, Joe Spring and Jon Beaulieu all tied in 2019;  Josh Kassoy in 2018;  Caleb Cross in 2017;  and Jon Hinckley in 2016.  

2.  Which Empty Pitcher was our female Rookie of the Year?  [1 voter abstained.]

1. Connie Misiti - 0 votes (0%)
2. Chelsea Pantano - 11 votes (100%)  🏆

Comment:  Claudette Davis won this award in 2024;  Angela Capone won in 2023;  Yaidy Santana in 2022;  Caren Luna in 2021;  Karolina Wytrykowska in 2020;  Alana Faulkner in 2019;  the award had not been presented prior.

3.  Which Empty Pitcher was our Cy Young Award winner (most valuable pitcher)?  [1 voter abstained.]

1. Rob Fayle - 0 votes (0%)
2. Ron Hoehne - 10 votes (91%)  🏆
3. Eric Lui - 1 vote (9%)
4. Mike Nyez - 0 votes (0%)
5. Fausto Rodas - 0 votes (0%)

Comment:  Ron Hoehne won this award in 2024, 2023 and 2022;  Alana Faulkner in 2021;  Chris Gotay in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

4.  Which Empty Pitcher was our male Most Valuable Player for 2025?  

1. Tino Coutsouridis - 0 votes (0%)
2. Caleb Cross - 2 votes (17%)
3. Rob Fayle - 9 votes (75%)  🏆
4. Ron Hoehne - 0 votes (0%)
5. Eric Lui - 0 votes (0%)
6. Fausto Rodas - 0 votes (0%)
7. Nate Smith - 0 votes (0%)
8. Joe Spring - 1 vote (8%)

Comment:  Nate Smith won this award in 2024;  Rob Fayle won in 2023;  Joe Spring in 2022, 2021 & 2020;  Jon Hinckley in 2019;  Tino Coutsouridis in 2018;  Jeff Mellen in 2017;  and Tino Coutsouridis in 2016.

5.  Which Empty Pitcher was our female Most Valuable Player for 2025?

1. Jocelyn Beaulieu - 6 votes (50%)  🏆
2. Jae Macon-Williams - 2 votes (17%)
3. Nancy Velez-Cruz - 4 votes (33%)

Comment:  Jocelyn Beaulieu won this award in 2024, 2023 & 2022;  Alana Faulkner won this award in 2021;  Jocelyn Beaulieu in 2020, 2019 and 2018;  Erienne Mellen in 2017 and 2016.  Also, I'd just like to point out that Justin's vote was, "[my] mom as [my] MVP for life and in EP history 🥰."  

6.  New question for 2025:  Which Empty Pitcher was our infield Defensive Player of the Year (Gold Glove Award)?  Since we don't track our defensive stats (things like chances, putouts, assists and errors), there is no data to consider.  But when an opposing batter puts a ball in play, in whose glovework do you feel the most confidence?  [1 voter abstained.]

1. Caleb Cross - 3 votes (27%)
2. Jocelyn Beaulieu - 1 vote (9%)
3. Mike Nyez - 6 votes (55%)  🏆
4. Tino Coutsouridis - 1 vote (9%)

7.  New question for 2025:  Which Empty Pitcher was our outfield Defensive Player of the Year (Gold Glove Award)?  Since we don't track our defensive stats (things like chances, putouts, assists and errors), there is no data to consider.  But when an opposing batter puts a ball in play, in whose glovework do you feel the most confidence?

1. Nate Smith - 5 votes (42%)  🏆
2. Jeff Mellen - 1 vote (8 %)
3. Rob Fayle - 4 votes (33%)
4. Eric Lui - 1 vote (8%)
5. Jocelyn Beaulieu - 1 vote (8%)

8.  Do you plan to play with the Empy Pitchers next season (2026)?  [2 voters mysteriously abstained, as if even "maybe" was too specific an option.  🤔]

1. Yes/in - 7 voters
2. Maybe - 3 voters
3. No/out - 0 voters

9.  What should we do differently/better in 2026?  Should we change the team name?  Should we find a better home field?  Should we get new shirts for next season?  Should we consider a style change, color change, or logo change?  All comments will be kept anonymous.

• I always love new shirts! A new name might be cool cuz we aren't really a drinking team.
• Do differently - Saturday games (except summer)
• I say yes to all, new name, new t-shirts and new field if at all possible.  While is convenient for me as I live in Wethersfield we need a real field lol.  Always fun to play with this team.
• 1) Longstanding EPs be given preferential playing time over future rookies. 2) When we need subs, the subs do not automatically join team.  3) Better home field if we can do so legitametly.
• I’d be pretty flexible in changing the name to something else and even purchasing new jersey’s with a new name. I think a new field would be an excellent idea. Maybe more games at Colt Park?
• Consider new player ability demonstrated across several games before allowing them to join the team permanently.  While wins and losses aren't the most important thing, improved competitiveness would increase the fun value even more.
• No change to jerseys. Maybe order a few extras for Fausto and Chelsea. I would have liked one or two extra home games and one more game with the Bisons. Runners base at first to prevent injury would be nice.
• play caught looking twice, no mush ball bats

In addition, there are a couple more awards that I'd like to present:

For the first EP to cast a vote this year, the First Responder Award goes to . . . Erienne Mellen!

For the last EP to cast a vote this year, the Better Late Than Never Award goes to . . . Jocelyn Beaulieu!

And finally, I'd like to point out that, even though it's completely okay and allowed, not one voter voted for themselves for any category (with the tiny exception of a half-vote in one category).  What a selfless bunch of wonderful people you all are!  I'm so proud to play with this team!

So a big hearty thanks to everyone who took the time to vote this year!  And an even bigger congratulations to all of this season's winners!