DALLAS – East Texas Baptist graduate student
Sayers Collins and senior
Tristen Maddox were selected as the 2023-24 American Southwest Conference Athlete of the Year recipients, the league office announced Tuesday. Collins and Maddox earned the accolade consecutive years, becoming the first duo to be voted the award consecutive years for the same years. Robert Moore (Mary Hardin-Baylor), Kendra Anderson (Hardin-Simmons) and Meia Daniels (Howard Payne) have won the honor two years and consecutive years.
The ASC Athlete of the Year award recognizes a male and a female student-athlete whose athletic accomplishments best contributed to their sport, their institution's overall athletic program and to the conference during the past athletic year and is presented for the 24th time in 2023-24. Selection is made from campus nominees with the recipients chosen by vote of the conference sports information directors.
East Texas Baptist moved to fourth overall among institutions with five total ASC Athletes of the Year and has now had an ASC Athlete of the Year selection seven times, which is third-most for an institution. Maddox increases the total number of softball selections to eight, while Collins improved the number to seven.
Maddox, a shortstop from Mission, Texas was named Honda Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) National Player of the Year, NFCA National Player of the Year, NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament MVP, and National Championship Tournament All-Tournament Team. She was also on the Marshall, Texas Regional All-Tournament Team, ASC Player of the Year, ASC Tournament MVP, and All-ASC First Team. Maddox helped ETBU softball capture its second NCAA Championship with a historic 48-3 record, win NCAA Division III Super Regionals, Regionals, and 12th ASC Championship. The Tigers were also the ASC Regular Season Champions with a 22-1 record.
Maddox was an NFCA All-American First Team and All-Region First Team and Players to Watch list. ETBU ranked top 10 for 12 weeks in the season and was part of program records for wins and winning streak (23). The team defeated 10 nationally ranked teams. Maddox led the ASC in runs scored (69), doubles (16), home runs (17), and RBI (63) and second in hits (69). She broke ETBU single season home run record and conference and school record for runs in a season.
For her career, Maddox is a two-time ASC Softball Player of the Year, 2023 ASC Female Athlete of the Year, four-time All-ASC First Team, three-time NFCA All-American (twice on First Team), Three-time NFCA All-Region (Twice on First Team), 2023 NFCA Golf Glove winner, two-time NFCA Watch List, NFCA Top 50 Players, five-time ASC Hitter of the Week, and leads the career leaderboard at ETBU for runs (190), doubles (55), second in at-bats (585), hits (230), third in homers (40), RBI (182), stolen bases (94), and hit by pitch (36).
Collins, a right-handed pitcher from Frisco, Texas, was tabbed ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III National Pitcher of the Year, ABCA/Rawlings All-American First Team and D3baseball.com All-American First Team. He was named Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year, an ABCA Finalist for National Pitcher of the Year, ASC Pitcher of the Year, ABCA Region 10 Pitcher of the Year, ABCA and D3baseball.com All-Region First Team, and All-ASC First Team. Collins was a five-time ASC Pitcher of the Week this spring, named to the ASC All-Tournament Team, D3baseball.com Pre-Season All-American, two-time D3baseball.com Team of the Week as a pitcher, NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 13), NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week – honorable mention (Feb. 29), and CBS-19 TV Athlete of the Week (Feb. 22).
Colins helped the Tigers post a 39-10 record and reach the NCAA Division III Super Regional consecutive years. The Tigers were 23-1 in conference play and earned the 2024 ASC Regional Season Championship. Collins combined to no-hit No. 5 Lynchburg, he led the ASC in ERA (1.23), wins (12), innings pitched (88), and strikeouts (92). He was first in the NCAA in wins, ERA, and 26th in strikeouts.
For his career, Collins was 2023 ASC Male Athlete of the Year, two-time ABCA Regional Pitcher of the Year, three-time ASC Pitcher of the Year, four-time All-ASC First Team, 15-time ASC Pitcher of the Week, three-time ASC All-Tournament Team, 2022 ASC Blue Bracket Tournament MVP, ABCA All-Region (three times First Team), 2023 SABR MetroPlex College Division Player of the Year, two-time NCBWA National Pitcher of the Month, two-time D3baseball.com Team of the Week, NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, CBS-19 TV Athlete of the Week. Collins is third all-time NCAA Division III in strikeouts (421), leads the ASC and ETBU in strikeouts and wins (41), and leads ETBU in innings pitched (317.2). Third in appearances (60). Collins set the conference record for wins (12) and strikeouts (135) in 2023.
Collins has helped with Operation Christmas Child, went on mission trip to Dominican Republic in 2023, and helped with local rodeo for children.
2023-24 Athlete of the Year Nominees
# Athlete of the Year
| Women |
|
|
| # Tristen Maddox |
Softball |
East Texas Baptist |
| Karen Alvarez |
Golf |
UT Dallas |
| Samantha Chavez |
Softball |
Sul Ross State |
| Emily Holland |
Basketball |
McMurry |
| Paris Kiser |
Basketball |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Karen Lee |
Golf |
UT Dallas |
| Morgan Nix |
Volleyball |
LeTourneau |
| Kayla Pena |
Tennis |
Concordia Texas |
| Chloe Weathers |
Cross Country/Track |
Ozarks |
| Kelsey White |
Soccer |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Men |
|
|
| # Sayers Collins |
Baseball |
East Texas Baptist |
| Joshua Bode |
Tennis |
Concordia Texas |
| Will Bartoszek |
Basketball |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Elias Garcia |
Basketball |
McMurry |
| Rhett Grosz |
Baseball |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Korey Kelley |
Football |
Howard Payne |
| Dane Jones |
Baseball |
LeTourneau |
| Vincente Luevano |
Football |
Sul Ross State |
| Kyle Seymour |
Soccer |
Ozarks |
| Donovan Souter |
Basketball |
UT Dallas |
Annual ASC Athlete of the Year Award Recipients
| Year |
Men |
Women |
| 1999-2000 |
Brad Parris, McMurry (track & field) |
Ogonna Merritt, McMurry (basketball) |
| 2000-01 |
(co) Aaron Kernek, Austin (football) |
Talitha Belcher, McMurry (basketball, track & field) |
|
(co) Robert Moore, Mary Hardin-Baylor (basketball) |
|
| 2001-02 |
Robert Moore, Mary Hardin-Baylor (basketball) |
Kendra Anderson, Hardin-Simmons (basketball) |
| 2002-03 |
Preston Meyer, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Kendra Anderson, Hardin-Simmons (basketball) |
| 2003-04 |
Cody Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Brittany Cary, McMurry (golf) |
| 2004-05 |
Cody Brotherton, McMurry (track & field) |
Holly Glover, Mary Hardin-Baylor (golf) |
| 2005-06 |
Aaron Crais, Texas Lutheran (baseball) |
Sandi Clark, Louisiana College (softball) |
| 2006-07 |
Josh Kubiak, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Meia Daniels, Howard Payne (basketball) |
| 2007-08 |
Jerrell Freeman, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Meia Daniels, Howard Payne (basketball) |
| 2008-09 |
Hann Ollison, McMurry (track and field) |
Ashley Huston, Hardin-Simmons (track & field) |
| 2009-10 |
Jake Mullin, McMurry (football, baseball) |
Ayrika Henderson, East Texas Baptist (softball) |
| 2010-11 |
Ben McLaughlin, Louisiana College (football) |
Amy Kuykendall, Hardin-Simmons (soccer) |
| 2011-12 |
Kevin Cunningham, McMurry (track and field) |
Brittany Roberson, Howard Payne (basketball) |
| 2012-13 |
Javicz Jones, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Katie Kuykendall, Hardin-Simmons (soccer) |
| 2013-14 |
Kyle Schleigh, UT Dallas (basketball) |
Lauren Robenalt, UT Tyler (softball) |
| 2014-15 |
Connor Bertsch, Concordia Texas (baseball) |
McKenzie Ralston, Mary Hardin-Baylor (golf) |
| 2015-16 |
Conner Combs, East Texas Baptist (baseball) |
Kelsie Batten, UT Tyler (softball) |
| 2016-17 |
Teidrick Smith, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Whitney Simmons, UT Tyler (track & field) |
| 2017-18 |
Haston Adams, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Kenne Kessler, Hardin-Simmons (soccer) |
| 2018-19 |
Casey Combs, East Texas Baptist (baseball) |
Melissa Livermore, UT Dallas (softball) |
| 2020-21 |
Josiah Johnson, Mary Hardin-Baylor (basketball) |
Kathy Joseph, UT Dallas (tennis) |
| 2021-22 |
Jefferson Fritz, Mary Hardin-Baylor (football) |
Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven (softball) |
| 2022-23 |
Sayers Collins, East Texas Baptist (baseball) |
Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist (softball) |
| 2023-24 |
Sayers Collins, East Texas Baptist (baseball) |
Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist (softball) |
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