CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced Wednesday afternoon the regular season award winners for the 2022 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 11 head coaches of the MAC. 
 
Central Michigan's McCall Salmon was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year and four of her players earned All-MAC accolades as the league released its honor squad on Wednesday.  Salmon, who is in her third season after succeeding the legendary Margo Jonker, has led the Chippewas to their most victories since they went 37-15 in 2017.
 
Senior left fielder Faith Hensley is the sixth player in program history, and first since three-time winner Jennifer Gilbert (2012, 2013 and 2014), to earn MAC Player of the Year honors. A two-time First Team All-MAC selection, Hensley led all MAC players with a 1.423 OPS in league play, powered by MAC-highs in slugging percentage (.876) and on base percentage (.547).
 
Hensley also finished third in the MAC in batting average during league play, at .404, and reached base safely in 27 of BSU's 29 MAC games, including tallying at least one hit in 23 games. Hensley has walked a league-high 26 times and was hit by a pitch twice in conference play.
 
Gottshall is just the second player in school history to be named MAC Pitcher of the Year, joining BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel (2005) on that exclusive list.  A native of Massillon, Ohio (Perry), is 23-10 with a 1.32 ERA and a school-record 325 strikeouts in 212 1/3 innings. She has an opponent batting average of just .154 on the year. A seven-time MAC Pitcher of the Week, Gottshall has recorded the second-highest individual win total in school history and the highest in 30 years.
 
Gottshall has been even better in MAC play this season. She went 15-6 with an ERA of just 1.15 and 196 strikeouts in 140 innings in conference games.
 
Currently, Payton leads the MAC in eight statistical categories, and is ranked 15th or higher in the nation on seven of those lists. She is second in the country in total strikeouts this season. Gottshall is also now second in school history in career strikeouts, and she has added her name to 10 other BGSU career pitching lists as well.
 
Angelina Russo led all MAC freshman pitchers, and ranked seventh overall, with a 3.08 ERA in league play. Over 17 conference appearances, Russo held opponents to a .227 batting average. She threw the first perfect game in program history in Ball State's 5-0 win over Western Michigan (April 20), finishing the contest with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
 
Overall, Russo tallied a team-high 62 strikeouts over 84.0 innings of work in MAC play. She also earned an 8-6 league record, including two wins over both WMU and Akron, as well as one victory each against Bowling Green, Kent State, Northern Illinois, and Toledo.
 
Miami’s Maggie Murphy took home MAC Freshman Player of the Year honors after boasting a .346 batting average in league play, six home runs and 26 runs batted in.
 
All-MAC First Team
Amaia Daniel, Shortstop, Ball State
Faith Hensley, Outfield, Ball State
Greta L’Esperance, Outfield, Bowling Green
Payton Gottshall, Pitcher, Bowling Green
Caitlyn Britton, Util-F, Central Michigan
Shannon Stein, First Base, Central Michigan
Allie Cummins, Catcher, Miami*
Brianna Pratt, Pitcher, Miami*
Karli Spaid, Third Base, Miami
Courtney Vierstra, Pitcher, Miami
Katie Keller, Catcher, Northern Illinois
Sam Mallinder, Second Base, Northern Illinois
Allie Englant, Outfield, Ohio
Annalia Paoli, Third Base, Ohio*
Reily Galloway, Util-Pitcher, Western Michigan
 
* At Large Selections
 
All-MAC Second Team 
Lexi Campbell, Third Base, Akron
Deborah Jones, Pitcher, Ball State
Alexis Lucyshyn, Util-Pitcher, Buffalo*
Grace Lehto, Pitcher, Central Michigan*
Abbey Tolmie, Outfield, Central Michigan
Madison Hershberger, Util-Fielder, Kent State
Jessica LeBeau, Util-Pitcher, Kent State
Andrea Scali, Pitcher, Kent State
Holly Blaska, First Base, Miami
Kate Kobayashi, Outfield, Miami
Maggie Murphy, Outfield, Miami
Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
Megan McMenemy, Shortstop, Ohio
Brooke Rice, Catcher, Ohio
Dayna Denner, Third Base, Toledo*
 
*At Large Selections
 
All-Freshman Team
Lexi Campbell, Akron
Angela Cirone, Akron
Emma Richards, Ball State
Angelina Russo, Ball State
Kylie Ringler, Kent State
Savannah Wing, Kent State
Maggie Murphy, Miami
Chloe Parks, Miami
Shelby Kunkel, Miami
Avery Carnahan, Northern Illinois
 
Coach of the Year
McCall Salmon, Central Michigan 
 
Freshman Pitcher of the Year
Angelina Russo, Ball State
 
Freshman Player of the Year
Maggie Murphy, Miami 
 
Nan Harvey Award
Andrea Scali, Kent State
 
Pitcher of the Year
Payton Gottshall, Bowling Green
 
Player of the Year
Faith Hensley, Ball State