MAC Announces Softball Regular Season Awards
Championship Central
2018 Softball Bracket
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced Tuesday afternoon, on the eve of the 2018 MAC Softball Tournament opening round, the regular season award winners for the 2018 season. Along with the All-MAC First and Second teams, the conference office also announced the All-Freshman team and individual awards as voted on by the 12 head coaches of the MAC.
Kent State’s Holly Speers was named the 2018 MAC Player of the Year. Speers leads the nation in batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.667), slugging percentage (1.079) and walks per game (1.21), while also leading the MAC in slugging percentage (1.128), on-base percentage (.694), home runs (8), walks (37), and was second in batting average (.447) throughout conference play. She was named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, as well as being named MAC East Player of the Week five times this season.
Danielle Steine of Ohio capped off an incredible regular season by being named the 2018 MAC Pitcher of the Year. She finished the season with an impressive 12-1 record with a 1.02 ERA. In 15 appearances, she has made 12 starts and has thrown 12 complete games while recording six shutouts. In her 89.1 innings of work in MAC play this season, Stiene has allowed 13 earned runs, while striking out a MAC high 105 batters that she has faced.
The 2018 MAC Freshman of the Year honor went to Toledo's Bailey Curry. Curry's huge freshman campaign is just one of the reasons why the Rockets have won their most conference games in a season since 1997 (16). Curry led the MAC this season in batting average in conference games at .452 and ranks second in both hits (33) and on-base percentage (.551). Her six conference home runs was tied for sixth best in the conference and her 13 HRs on the season is tied for the Toledo single-season record.
The recipient of the 2018 Nan Harvey Award is Eastern Michigan's Lauren Holdsworth. Nan Harvey’s dedication and passion for women’s sports and the game of softball were shown through her everyday commitment to excellence. She was a part of the University at Buffalo family for over two decades where she helped shape the women’s softball, basketball and volleyball programs.
It was not an easy journey to becoming a Division I student-athlete for Holdsworth, as she had to find a way to achieve her goals while also overcoming the fact that she is deaf. One of the most selfless players on the team, Holdsworth has navigated athletics with grace and has inspired many of her teammates along the way. She easily adapts to all situations, and is successful in everything that she does from the field, to the classroom, and even in her dedication to making an impact in the community.
Holdsworth has spent time volunteering with Habitat for Hummanity, the Michigan Adult Academy, Food Gatherers Food Pantry, Pittsfield Elementary School, 2nd and 7 Reading, VA Hospitals, and many more.
She has used her platform as a Division I softball player to inspire others to overcome adversity. Sharing her story, a feature done on Holdsworth attracted national attention earlier this season, as the Howell, Mich. native told her story with the hopes of touching someone going through something similar
Kristen Butler of Toledo was named the 2018 MAC coach of the year after leading the Rockets to a 32-19 record overall record this season and earning the No. 3 seed in the 2018 MAC Softball Championship. Last season, Toledo finished with an overall record of 24-34 and did not make the Conference tournament.
The All-MAC First Team was headlined by 2018 MAC Player of the Year Holly Speers, and 2018 MAC Pitcher of the Year Danielle Stiene. Joining them on the first team is Toledo's Kailey Minarchick, Central Michigan's Maison Kalina, Ohio first baseman Mikayla Cooper, Ball State teammates Maddy Labrador, Haley Dominique, and Aeshia Miles, Bailey Brownfield of Kent State, freshman outfielders Sam Coffel and Anna Aguon, Freshman of the Year Bailey Curry, Western Michigan's Sydney Stefanick, Alex Day of Ohio and Erika Underwood of Central Michigan.
The All-MAC Second team was made up of Jordan Kurth, Madi Huck, Laine Simmons, Sam Schmidt, Taylor Saxton, Amanda Akles, Sydney Jascoe, Kennadie Goth, Ashley Rausch, Maria Cegledy, Morgan Geno, Brenna Brownfield, Jenny Van Geertry, Jenelle Martinez, and Cassie Gillespie.
Closing-out the regular season awards was the naming of the 2018 All-Freshman Team recognizing the best of the up-and-coming following their first season. Along with the Freshman of the Year Bailey Curry, the team included Sam Coffel, Anna Aguon, Kennadie Goth, Shaidan Knapp, Ashton Slone, Courtney Vierstra, Kylie Norwood, Kaitlyn Miller, and Katie Yun.
The 2018 MAC Softball Championship begins Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Akron’s Firestone Stadium. Check out the MAC Softball Championship Central
HERE.
Player of the Year: Holly Speers, Kent State
Pitcher of the Year: Danielle Stiene, Ohio
Freshman of the Year: Bailey Curry, Toledo
Coach of the Year: Kristen Butler, Toledo
Nan Harvey Award: Lauren Holdsworth, Eastern Michigan
All-MAC First Team
Danielle Stiene, Ohio, P
Kailey Minarchick, Toledo, P
Maison Kalina, Central Michigan, C
Mikayla Cooper, Ohio, 1B
Maddy Labrador, Ball State, 2B
Bailey Brownfield, Kent State, 3B
Holly Speers, Kent State, SS
Sam Coffel, Western Michigan, OF
Anna Aguon, Buffalo, OF
Haley Dominique, Ball State, OF
Bailey Curry, Toledo, UTL
Sydney Stefanick, Western Michigan, UTL/P
*Aeshia Miles, Ball State, P
*Alex Day, Ohio, 3B
*Erika Underwood, Central Michigan, 1B
All-MAC Second Team
Jordan Kurth, Western Michigan, P
Madi Huck, Kent State, P
Laine Simmons, Bowling Green, C
Sam Schmidt, Northern Illinois, 1B
Taylor Saxton, Ohio, 2B
Amanda Akles, Eastern Michigan, 3B
Sydney Jascoe, Akron, SS
Kennadie Goth, Kent State, OF
Ashley Rausch, Toledo, OF
Maria Cegledy, Kent State, OF
Morgan Geno, Ohio, UTL
Brenna Brownfield, Kent State, UTL-P
*Jenny Van Geertry, Northern Illinois, OF
*Jenelle Martinez, Buffalo, 2B
*Cassie Gillespie, Akron, 1B
*At large recipents
All-Freshman Team
Bailey Curry, Toledo, UTL
Sam Coffel, Western Michigan, OF
Anna Aguon, Buffalo, OF
Kennadie Goth, Kent State, OF
Shaidan Knapp, Central Michigan, INF
Ashton Slone, Miami, INF
Courtney Vierstra, Miami, P
Kylie Norwood, Toledo, SS
Kaitlyn Miller, Kent State UTL
Katie Yun, Ohio, INF
