NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. (7/9/25) - Franklin Pierce University student-athletes Kesinee Prukmathakul (Bangkok, Thailand) of women's golf and Joey Acker (Upton, Mass.) of baseball have each been named recipients of the Northeast-10 Conference Sport Excellence Award for their respective sports, as announced Wednesday by the league office.
The NE10 Sport Excellence Award is one of the conference's highest individual honors, recognizing just one student-athlete in each of the league's 10 spring sports for outstanding achievement in both athletic and academic performance. The award has been presented annually since the 2009-10 academic year.
Prukmathakul becomes the second women's golfer in program history to earn the honor—both instances belonging to her—and is the 10th female student-athlete from Franklin Pierce to receive the award. Acker is the third Raven baseball player to be recognized and the 11th male recipient in school history.
Prukmathakul, who boasts a 3.95 GPA as a Business Management major, continues to etch her name into the record books as one of the most decorated women's golfers in program history. She is the first player in league history to be named NE10 Player of the Year four times, captured four individual titles during the 2024-25 season, and helped lead Franklin Pierce to its third NE10 Championship in four years. She finished the season with an impressive 76.1 scoring average over 19 rounds, with seven top-three finishes, including 17th place at the NCAA East Regional. A two-time NE10 Sport Excellence recipient, Prukmathakul is also a three-time NE10 Academic All-Conference selection.
Acker, who holds a 3.90 GPA in Health Sciences, was a standout on the diamond and in the classroom for the Ravens this season. He earned NE10 All-Conference Second Team honors and was one of the league's most consistent performers, appearing in 57 games with 55 starts. Among Franklin Pierce starters, he led the team in batting average (.382), hits (78), on-base percentage (.504), walks (44), and at-bats (204). Off the field, Acker has twice been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, is a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference honoree, and will serve as the SAAC Male Co-Chair for the 2025-26 academic year. He is also a multi-time selection to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll.
To be eligible for Academic All-Conference and Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in two-thirds of all contests while making significant contributions and maintaining a 3.3 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
