Nine Bruins earn all-conference softball honors

CONWAY, Ark. -- The Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the 2014 all-conference softball team Thursday in conjunction with the MCAC softball tournament hosted by Central Baptist College.

Nine Bruins were awarded all-conference honors, including MCAC Newcomer of the Year (Ashley Gigax) and MCAC Freshman of the Year (Katy Shupe).

Kelli Fisher, Gigax, Shelby Kindelin, Alyssa Matoba, Augusta Ratliff and Sydney Robertson each earned first team accolades while Katie Malloy, Taylor Mohler and Shupe were named to the second team.

Gigax, the MCAC Newcomer of the Year and two-time conference Player of the Week, leads the team with a .393 batting average, .671 slugging percentage, 45 RBIs, nine home runs and ranks second with 10 doubles.

Redshirt freshman Fisher has a team-best 16 wins and threw a perfect game against Cardinal Stritch University on March 21. She has compiled 121 strikeouts with a 1.40 ERA in 135 innings in the circle.

Kindelin has a .383 batting average with 10 doubles, four triples, four home runs and a team-high 44 runs scored. The Plattsmouth, Neb. native also picked up a win and struck out 20 batters as a pitcher.

Matoba, who is hitting .383 with 34 runs, leads the team with 22 stolen bases and a .448 on-base percentage. She also has the second-most career stolen bases in Bruin history with 52.

BU's starting catcher in all 47 games this season, is batting .283 with home run runs, 23 runs scored and 34 RBIs. She also earned MCAC Player of the Week accolades for the first time in her career on April 28.

Omaha, Neb. native Robertson batted .381 with 25 runs scored and 11 stolen bases to earn first team honors.

Malloy earned second team all-MCAC honors for the fourth-straight season after batting .350 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. She leads the Bruins with 13 doubles and ranks second in on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.577)

Mohler, a two-time MCAC Pitcher of the Week, has a 15-7 record with a 2.09 ERA in 134 innings pitched. She ranks fourth in the NAIA with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings and her 206 strikeouts are third-most in the MCAC.

MCAC Freshman of the Year Shupe, posted a .308 batting average to go along with 34 runs, 32 RBIs and seven doubles.

The Bruins have won nine of their last 10 games and have an overall record of 32-15 and finished in second place in the conference with a 16-4 mark.

MCAC Co-Players of the Year: Shelbi Hatfield, College of Saint Mary; Miranda Kiser, Oklahoma Wesleyan
MCAC Co-Pitchers of the Year: Jenna Daniel, Oklahoma Wesleyan; Jessica Sheldon, Central Baptist
MCAC Newcomer of the Year: Ashley Gigax, Bellevue
MCAC Freshman of the Year: Katy Shupe, Bellevue

All-MCAC First Team
P-Jessica Sheldon, Central Baptist
P-Jenna Daniel, Oklahoma Wesleyan
P- Kelli Fisher, Bellevue
C-Jordan Jones, Central Baptist
C-Augusta Ratliff, Bellevue
INF-Shelbi Hatfield, College of Saint Mary
INF-Brittany Merritt, Central Baptist
INF-Miranda Kiser, Oklahoma Wesleyan
INF-Shelby Kindelin, Bellevue
INF-Kate Martino, Waldorf
INF-Ashley Wohlers, College of Saint Mary
OF-Haley Baugh, Central Baptist
OF-Ashley Gigax, Bellevue
OF-Alyssa Matoba, Bellevue
OF-Allison Edwards, Oklahoma Wesleyan
OF-Kendra Wedl, Waldorf
DP-Sydney Robertson, Bellevue
UTL-Cristina Insua, Central Christian

All-MCAC Second Team
P-Maggie Hawley, Waldorf
P-Joella Bayles, Central Baptist
P-Taylor Mohler, Bellevue
C-Katelyn Cook, Oklahoma Wesleyan
C-Sydney Nelson, Central Christian
INF-Katy Shupe, Bellevue
INF-Macy Wright, Oklahoma Wesleyan
INF-Tiffani Pledger, Central Baptist
INF-Katie Malloy, Bellevue
INF-Miranda Manchester, Central Baptist
INF-Ashly Westgarth, Central Christian
OF-Mariah Shepherd, Oklahoma Wesleyan
OF-Kayleigh Harriman, Central Baptist
OF-Brooklynn Lemons, Central Christian
OF-Ashley Brandt, Waldorf
OF-Kathryn Nieman, Waldorf
DP-Courtney Slaughter, Central Baptist
UTL-Kristen Hall, Central Christian

Honorable Mention All-MCAC
Brittany Rayls, York
Christie Bell, Oklahoma Wesleyan
Dana Dean, Central Christian
Jamie Zimmerer, College of Saint Mary
Jessie Gargano, College of Saint Mary
Leah Kipfer, College of Saint Mary
Leanne Salas, Oklahoma Wesleyan
MacKenzie Bush, York
Mariah Gibson, College of Saint Mary
Marisa Donnelly, Waldorf
Raeann Surrett, Central Baptist
Shelby Nosal, College of Saint Mary