KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA released its All-Conference softball awards on Wednesday afternoon. Seven Missouri Southern players and six Pittsburg State players made the list.
1st team All-MIAA
1B Paxtyn Hayes (Pitt State)
2B Taylor Lambert (Pitt State)
OF Yazmin Vargas (MSSU)
UT Leighton Withers (MSSU)
2nd team All-MIAA
C Madison Szymanski (Pitt State)
SS Josie Tofpi (MSSU)
OF Kianna Pellegrino (Pitt State)
UT/P Kara Amos (MSSU) All-MIAA Gold Glove team
Honorable Mention
P Bailey Lacy (MSSU)
C Ashlynn Williams (MSSU)
OF Adrianna Young (MSSU)
SS Gabby Schultz (Pitt State)
OF Keelah Griffith (Pitt State)
FULL RELEASE FROM THE MIAA
The MIAA announced its Softball Postseason Awards and All-MIAA Teams for the 2022 season.
Headlining the 2022 group is Washburn’s Jaycee Ginter, the MIAA Player of the Year, and Rogers State’s Andrea Morales, named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. Central Oklahoma’s Brighton Gilbert was voted the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. Rogers State’s Abbey Rogers was selected as the MIAA Freshman of the Year. Washburn’s Head Coach Brenda Holaday was named the MIAA Coach of the Year by her peers.
Jaycee Ginter helped lead the Ichabods to the 2022 MIAA Regular Season Title and the No. 1 seed in the 2022 Championship Tournament with a league record of 24-2 and 42-11 overall. Ginter, a sophomore form Berryton, Kan., lead Washburn in the circle with a 1.61 ERA in a league-high 195.1 innings pitched. Her ERA ranks second in the MIAA while her 28 wins on the season leads the group. Ginter also posted the second-most strikes in the league with 256 total – 77 looking. Not only is Ginter one of the Association’s best pitchers but she also dominated at the plate. She ranked in the MIAA’s top-10 in seven offensive categories: batting average (.386), slugging percentage (.683), on-base percentage (.461), OPS (1.144), RBI (53), doubles (13) and triples (3). Her 53 runs batted in led the Ichabods and ranked second in the league. Ginter also earned First Team All-MIAA at utility/pitcher for the second consecutive season.
Andrea Morales earned back-to-back honors as the Association’s Pitcher of the Year. Morales, a senior from El Paso, Texas, led the Hillcats to their second consecutive MIAA tournament after finished 20-6 in the league and 43-9 overall. In 179.2 inning, Morales dominated the competition with a league-best 1.01 ERA, a .144 opposing batting average and 265 strikeouts – 79 looking. She also earned unanimous First Team All-MIAA pitcher honors for the second consecutive season.
Central Oklahoma’s Brighton Gilbert helped lead a league-best .983 fielding percentage. The senior shortstop from Chickasha, Okla. was responsible for 120 assists and 59 putouts while owning an impressive .978 fielding percentage. Offensively, she totaled 54 hits and 44 UCO runs scored with a .321 batting average. Gilbert was also a First Team All-MIAA shortstop selection.
Rogers State’s Abbey Rogers played a key role to the Hillcats offense and defense. The first year from Midwest City, Okla. was RSU’s starting catcher. Offensively, Rogers posted a .336 batting average in 113 at bats and drove in a team-high 45 runs to rank sixth in the MIAA in the discipline. Behind the plate, she was involved in 202 putouts and five assists with a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage. Rogers also earned First Team All-MIAA catcher honors for her performance this season.
In her sixth season leading the Ichabods, Head Coach Brenda Holaday led her team to the 2022 MIAA Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the tournament. It was Washburn’s second MIAA regular season title under her realm. Overall, the Ichabods posted a league-best 485 hits, ranked second with 339 total runs score and third with a .334 team batting average and .977 team fielding percentage. This is Coach Holaday’s second MIAA Coach of the Year honor.
Below is a complete list of the 2022 MIAA Softball Postseason Awards, All-MIAA teams and Gold Glove selections.
The 2022 MIAA Softball Championship begins Thursday, May 5 with four first round matchups at Central Oklahoma’s Gerry Pinkston Stadium in Edmond, Okla. For more information about the 2022 Tournament, visit the championship central page, found here.
2022 MIAA Softball Awards
Player of the Year: Jaycee Ginter, Utility/Pitcher – Washburn
Defensive Player of the Year: Brighton Gilbert, Shortstop – Central Oklahoma
Pitcher of the Year: Andrea Morales – Rogers State*
Freshman of the Year: Abbey Rogers, Catcher – Rogers State
Coach of the Year: Brenda Holaday – Washburn*
2022 All-MIAA Softball Teams
First-Team
Pitcher: Kylee Lynch – Central Oklahoma
Pitcher: Andrea Morales – Rogers State*
Catcher: Amelya Huggins – Central Oklahoma
First Base: Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State
Second Base: Taylor Lambert – Pittsburg State
Shortstop: Brighton Gilbert – Central Oklahoma
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn
Outfield: Jacee Minter – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Yazmin Vargas – Missouri Southern
Outfield: Carlee Liesch – Nebraska Kearney
Designated Player: Ashton Friend – Washburn
Utility/Pitcher: Jaycee Ginter – Washburn*
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Leighton Withers – Missouri Southern
Second-Team
Pitcher: Sydney Rader – Missouri Western
Pitcher: M’Kayla Hillman – Rogers State
Catcher: Madison Szymanski – Pittsburg State
Catcher: Abbey Rogers – Rogers State
First Base: Elexis Watson – Rogers State
Second Base: Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western
Shortstop: Josie Tofpi – Missouri Southern
Third Base: Shayla Harper – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Lexy Dobson – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Brittanie Shepherd – Emporia State
Outfield: Kianna Pellegrino – Pittsburg State
Outfield: Paige Robbins – Washburn
Designated Player: Maddy Broxterman – Emporia State
Designated Player: Bridgett Morales – Rogers State
Utility/Pitcher: Kara Amos – Missouri Southern
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Shayleigh Odom – Central Oklahoma
Gold Glove Team
Pitcher: Kara Amos – Missouri Southern
Catcher: Amelya Huggins – Central Oklahoma
First Base: Elexis Watson – Rogers State
Second Base: Tarin Dubler – Central Oklahoma
Shortstop: Brighton Gilbert – Central Oklahoma
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn
Outfield: Peyton Corrigan – Central Missouri
Outfield: Jacee Minter – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Lexy Dobson – Central Oklahoma
Honorable Mentions
Central Missouri: Kyleigh Lay – Pitcher, Makenzie McAtee – First Base; Aubrie McRoberts – Outfield; Peyton Corrigan – Outfield
Central Oklahoma: Mikayla Rutland – First Base, Tarin Dubler – Second Base; Korbyn Skipworth – Outfield
Emporia State: Sydney Righi – Pitcher, Lexi Williams – Outfield; Alexis Dial – Outfield; Josie Harrison – Utility/Pitcher
Fort Hays State: Sarah Tiffany – Outfield
Missouri Southern: Bailey Lacy – Pitcher, Ashlynn Williams – Catcher; Adrianna Young – Outfield
Missouri Western: Emma Hoffart – Catcher
Nebraska Kearney: Bri Healy – Outfield, Sydney Thomason – Utility/Pitcher
Newman: Lindsay Mayo – First Base, Gianna Navarro – Second Base; Laurie Cooke – Shortstop; Anissa Ramos – Third Base
Northeastern State: Savannah Evans – Pitcher, Gail Young – Pitcher; Addy Wolfe – Third Base; Rhomie Bradshaw – Outfield; Sydney Balderrama – Outfield; Chloe Bohuslavicky – Designated Player; Jaeden Rosenquist – Utility/Non-Pitcher
Northwest Missouri: Skylar Pieper – First Base, Abby Nolte – Second Base; Jacee Winn – Outfield; Olivia Daugherty – Designated Player
Pittsburg State: Gabby Schultz – Shortstop, Keelah Griffith – Outfield
Rogers State: Lana Gass – Outfield, Makayla Bowman – Outfield
Washburn: Hadley Kerschen – Second Base, Autymn Schreiner – Shortstop
*Indicates unanimous selection
^Includes ties in voting
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