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RICHARDSON, Texas – Texas-Tyler senior utility player Katelyn Thomason, Mississippi College senior right-handed pitcher Courtney Nunn, Howard Payne junior outfielder Katie Poerner and Mary Hardin-Baylor sophomore right-handed pitcher Rebekah Ragsdale earned top individual honors to highlight the 2012 American Southwest Conference softball awards following a division-only vote by head coaches, the conference office announced on Wednesday (May 2).
Thomason (Spring, TX / Southeastern Louisiana) was named East Division Player of the Year after hitting .437 with three home runs, nine doubles and 42 RBIs, while going 13-3 with a 1.85 ERA in the circle. The outfielder/right-hander helped fuel the Patriots to conference and division titles.
Nunn (Jonesboro, LA / East Mississippi Community College) was voted East Division Pitcher of the Year after going 11-5 with three saves and a league-leading 1.52 ERA. She walked just 13 batters over 120 innings of work.
Poerner (Comfort, TX / CHS) was named West Division Player of the Year after batting .397 with a conference-high eight triples – three more than anyone else. She also had two home runs, seven doubles, 23 RBIs and was 16-for-16 on stolen base attempts.
Ragsdale (Orange, TX / West Orange HS) was voted West Division Pitcher of the Year after going 14-7 with two saves and a 2.47 ERA. She logged 139 innings and helped the Cru win the division crown.
Thomason, Nunn, Poerner and Ragsdale were all first team selections in their respective divisions.
Other East Division award winners were Texas-Tyler junior third baseman Ashley Endsley (Paris, TX / Paris JC), who was named newcomer of the year after batting .412 with a league-leading 49 RBIs. Ozarks right-handed pitcher Amber Rollins (Searcy, AR / SHS) took freshman of the year honors after topping the ASC with 172 strikeouts. East Texas Baptist sophomore third baseman Kristina Cordova (Cypress, TX / Cy-Woods HS) was voted the division’s sportsmanship athlete of the year.
Other West Division award winners were Texas Lutheran freshman shortstop Ashley Jacobsen (Marion, TX / MHS), who was dubbed as newcomer of the year after hitting .455 to win the conference batting title. Mary Hardin-Baylor outfielder Janie Neyland (Franklin, TX / FHS) earned freshman of the year honors after hitting .382 and totaling four assists. Hardin-Simmons senior outfielder Kelsey Evans (Sulphur Springs, TX / SSHS) was voted the division’s sportsmanship athlete of the year.
Texas-Tyler (Mike Reed, Megan Dobrinski, Christy Shipley-Gipson, Coby Gipson and Whitney Wyly) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (Larry Hennig and Julie Norris) earned the East and West Division coaching staff of the year awards, respectively. Head coach Reed and the Patriots won conference and East titles, while head coach Hennig and the Cru took the West crown.
[Note: ASC softball awards are given only at the division level.]
-ASC EAST DIVISION SOFTBALL AWARDS-
East Division Player of the Year: Katelyn Thomason, RHP/OF, Sr., Texas-Tyler
East Division Pitcher of the Year: Courtney Nunn, RHP, Sr., Mississippi College
East Division Newcomer of the Year: Ashley Endsley, 3B, Jr., Texas-Tyler
East Division Freshman of the Year: Amber Rollins, RHP, Fr., Ozarks
East Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year: Kristina Cordova, 3B, So., East Texas Baptist
East Division Coaching Staff of the Year: Texas-Tyler (Mike Reed, Megan Dobrinski, Christy Shipley-Gipson, Coby Gipson, Whitney Wyly)
(Listed in order of voting point totals; # indicates tie in voting at that position)
ALL-EAST DIVISION FIRST TEAM
1B Brooke Smitherman So. Mississippi College Prattville, AL (PHS)
2B Christin Mickelboro Sr. LeTourneau Longview, TX (LHS)
SS Danielle Wilson Jr. Louisiana College Destrehan, LA (C-Lincoln CC)
3B Ashley Endlsey Jr. Texas-Tyler Paris, TX (Paris JC)
C Sarah Smaltz Sr. Mississippi College Houston, TX (Miss. Gulf Coast CC)
OF Joey Cronin Jr. Texas-Tyler Celina, TX (CHS)
Hannah Creech Fr. Texas-Dallas Lake Jackson, TX (Brazoswood HS)
Kayla Garcia Fr. East Texas Baptist Navasota, TX (NHS)
DP Avery McHugh Fr. Texas-Dallas Uvalde, TX (UHS)
UTL Katelyn Thomason Sr. Texas-Tyler Spring, TX (SE Louisiana)
P Courtney Nunn Sr. Mississippi College Jonesboro, LA (East Miss. CC)
Heather Abshire Jr. Texas-Tyler Lafayette, LA (LSU-Eunice)
Kaylee Davis So. East Texas Baptist Carthage, TX (Texas Woman’s)
ALL-EAST DIVISION SECOND TEAM
1B Rachel Howell Jr. Texas-Tyler Bossier, LA (Airline HS)
2B Macey Lee Fr. Mississippi College Pearl, MS (PHS)
SS Megan Colvin# Sr. Mississippi College Wiggins, MS (Gulf Coast CC)
Jessica Delgado# Fr. East Texas Baptist Arlington, TX (Martin HS)
3B Brittanie Knowles Jr. Texas-Dallas Celina, TX (CHS)
C Kayla Moore Sr. Texas-Dallas Orange, TX (Orangefield HS)
OF Juliana Tuel Jr. LeTourneau White Oak, TX (WOHS)
Meggie Burkett Jr. Louisiana College West Monroe, LA (W. Ouachita HS)
Tiffany Fuller Sr. Mississippi College Vicksburg, MS (Miss. Gulf Coast CC)
DP Taylor Petrick Jr. Texas-Tyler Argyle, TX (AHS)
UTL Ashton Brey Sr. East Texas Baptist Lindale, TX (LHS)
P Heather Foust So. Texas-Dallas Highland Village, TX (Marcus HS)
Ashton Brey# Sr. East Texas Baptist Lindale, TX (LHS)
Amber Rollins# Fr. Ozarks Searcy, AR (SHS)
Honorable Mention
1B Sara Whitehead So. LeTourneau Coppell, TX (CHS)
Kelsey Stephens Sr. Ozarks Anna, TX (AHS)
2B Stephanie Jaeger So. Louisiana College Haughton, LA (HHS)
3B Devan Greene Sr. Louisiana College Kaplan, LA (KHS)
Anna Winter So. LeTourneau Southlake, TX (Carroll HS)
C Jourdan Glover So. LeTourneau Fort Worth, TX (SW Christina HS)
OF Brooklyn Greene# Fr. LeTourneau Longview, TX (Hallsville HS)
Lauren Robenalt# So. Texas-Tyler San Antonio, TX (Brandeis HS)
UTL Ashley McPhail Sr. LeTourneau Katy, TX (Faith Academy HS)
-ASC WEST DIVISION SOFTBALL AWARDS-
West Division Player of the Year: Katie Poerner, OF, Jr., Howard Payne
West Division Pitcher of the Year: Rebekah Ragsdale, RHP, So., Mary Hardin-Baylor
West Division Newcomer of the Year: Ashley Jacobsen, SS, Fr., Texas Lutheran
West Division Freshman of the Year: Janie Neyland, OF, Fr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
West Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year: Kelsey Evans, OF, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
West Division Coaching Staff of the Year: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Larry Hennig, Julie Norris)
(Listed in order of voting point totals; #, & indicates tie in voting at that position)
ALL-WEST DIVISION FIRST TEAM
1B Ashton Feight Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Robinson, TX (RHS)
2B Mac Clay So. Hardin-Simmons Abilene, TX (Wylie HS)
SS Amy Meyer Sr. Hardin-Simmons Keller, TX (Fossil Ridge HS)
3B Erin Duhon Jr. Concordia Texas Cypress, TX (CCHS)
C Taylor Namey Sr. Hardin-Simmons Fort Worth, TX (Northwest HS)
OF Caitlin Wells Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Spring, TX (SHS)
Katie Poerner Jr. Howard Payne Comfort, TX (CHS)
Laine Strickland Sr. Hardin-Simmons Austin, TX (McNeil HS)
DP Hannah White Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Robinson, TX (RHS)
UTL Brittany Upton Jr. Texas Lutheran Katy, TX (Cypress Springs HS)
P Rebekah Ragsdale So. Mary Hardin-Baylor Orange, TX (West Orange HS)
Teylor Schiefelbein So. Concordia Texas Houston, TX (Con. Lutheran)
Blair Wallace Sr. Hardin-Simmons Abilene, TX (Southwestern)
ALL-WEST DIVISION SECOND TEAM
1B Kelsey Ambrose Jr. Schreiner Buda, TX (Hays HS)
2B Kaysie Creech Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Angleton, TX (Brazoswood HS)
SS Ashley Jacobsen Fr. Texas Lutheran Marion, TX (MHS)
3B Carley Willis Fr. Hardin-Simmons Hurst, TX (L.D. Bell)
C Hope Estes Fr. Texas Lutheran Willis, TX (WHS)
OF Janie Neyland Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Franklin, TX (FHS)
Shelby McIntyre# Jr. Hardin-Simmons Abilene, TX (Wylie HS)
Lauren Vansickle# Sr. Concordia Texas Victoria, TX (St. Joseph)
DP Brittany Acosta# Fr. Hardin-Simmons Granbury, TX (GHS)
Brittany Upton# Jr. Texas Lutheran Katy, TX (Cypress Springs HS)
UTL Haleigh Caraway# Jr. Howard Payne Cisco, TX (CHS)
Jessica Parrish# So. Concordia Texas Lexington, TX (ETBU)
P Sarah Shurbet Sr. Hardin-Simmons Pittsburg, TX (PHS)
Kayla Castillo# Sr. Howard Payne Fort Worth, TX (Southwest HS)
Jana Masters# Fr. Schreiner Castroville, TX (Medina Valley HS)
Honorable Mention
1B Julia Bradley So. Hardin-Simmons Azle, TX (AHS)
Shandi Winstead Fr. Howard Payne Brownwood, TX (Early HS)
2B Carissa Zarate So. Howard Payne Santa Anna, TX (Coleman HS)
Candace Velasquez Sr. Concordia Texas Austin, TX (McLennan CC)
SS Caitlin Bollier Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Kerrville, TX (Tivy HS)
Callie Caesar Jr. Schreiner San Antonio, TX (Alamo Heights HS)
Tylene Middleton So. Howard Payne Blanket, TX (Early HS)
3B Jessica Garcia Fr. Texas Lutheran Corpus Christi, TX (Tuloso-Midway)
C Chandler Henson So. Mary Hardin-Baylor Van Alstyne, TX (VAHS)
Alex Smith Jr. Concordia Texas Willis Point, TX (Hill JC)
OF Christina Smith Jr. Concordia Texas Mesa, AZ (Mesa CC)
Leanne Hinojosa Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Edinburg, TX (EHS)
Brandy Gonzalez# Jr. Schreiner (Lon Morris)
Kimble Luna# Sr. Howard Payne Sonora, TX (SHS)
Sam Menchaca& Fr. Sul Ross State Caldwell, TX (CHS)
Molly Gorrie& So. Texas Lutheran Houston, TX (Jersey Village)
DP Jessica Morales So. Howard Payne Coleman, TX (CHS)
UTL Camryn Bintz Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Salado, TX (SHS)
P Ariel Kemmerer Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Little Elm, TX (LEHS)
Kat Moreno Jr. Concordia Texas Cypress, TX (Cy-Woods HS)