The Mid-American Conference announced today at a special ceremony at the MAC Softball Tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio the 2008 All-MAC teams, MAC All-Freshman team and the specialty award winners.
Kent State’s senior shortstop, Jessica Toocheck was tabbed as this season’s Player of the Year. Toocheck has started 209 career games, every Kent State game since her freshman season. She hit .397 in MAC play with six home runs. Overall she leads the Flashes with 10 home runs, four triples and 43 runs batted in. Toocheck’s 199 career hits are the second most in school history. Her 30 home runs and 128 runs scored are also second among Kent State’s career leaders, while her 109 runs batted in rank third. She recently earned the Janet Bachna Award as Kent State’s top female scholar athlete.
Teammate Kylie Reynolds was named Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row, making her the first to achieve this mark. In 11 MAC starts, Reynolds finished 11-0 with a 0.47 ERA and a victory over all 11 MAC opponents. She also made four relief appearances in conference play, recording three saves. Reynolds finished with a 0.78 ERA in league play with six shutouts and 115 strikeouts. On the season she finished 21-4, winning 19 of her last 21 decisions, including each of her last 14 starts. She led the MAC with 242 strikeouts and nine total shutouts. She ranks third in career strikeouts at Kent State with 499 and eighth in victories with 35.
Joining her players is KSU head coach Karen Linder. Linder is just two wins shy of reaching 600 for her career. Linder earned 253 victories in 11 seasons at Ashland University and owns 344 wins in 12 seasons at Kent State. She has guided the Golden Flashes to three consecutive MAC East Division titles and two straight MAC regular season titles. She earned MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and led the Flashes to a MAC Tournament championship in 2006. She has won more games than any coach in Kent State history. KSU’s 40 regular season wins and 20 conference wins tied for the most in school history.
Miami’s shortstop, Meghan Mawn was named as this year’s Freshman of the Year. Mawn becomes the RedHawks third freshman to achieve top honors and the first since 1991. She batted safely in 18 of 22 Mid-American Conference contests and compiled six multiple hit games during her freshman season. She had doubles in three consecutive games (April 4-6) while scoring 17 runs in conference play.
Miami tabbed a league high six players to the All-MAC teams. In addition to Mawn, the RedHawks were represented by first-teamers Sarah Billstrom (shortstop), Alicia Hogl (utility/non-pitcher), and Breanna Robinson (outfield). Miami second team members were Meredith Linch (pitcher) and Halle Popson (first base).
MAC West Division Champions Central Michigan had five players named to the All-MAC teams. Senior Amy Hudson (third base), junior Tracy Kaatz (outfield) and sophomore Kari Seddon (pitcher) were named to the first team, while Kate Greenman (utility/non-pitcher) and Brittini Merchant (shortstop) were named to the second team.
Along with Reynolds and Toocheck, KSU added senior Gabrielle Burns (pitcher) to the All-MAC first team and Heather Duhon (second base) to the third team.
Bowling Green and Western Michigan each had three players with All-MAC honors. For the Falcons Hayley Wiemer (utility/pitcher) and Allison Vallas (first base) tabbed first team honors while Dawnjene DeLong (shortstop) tabbed second team honors. Becky Bartosz (catcher) and Kyla Sullivan (pitcher) represented the Broncos on the first team and Lexi Jager (third base) on the second team.
Courtney Waters (outfield) led Ohio on the first team while teammate Michelle Sauter (pitcher) was tabbed with second team honors. Rounding out the second team was Abby Gross (catcher) and Elizabeth Milian (utility/pitcher) from Ball State. Jenny Scherer (outfield) and Ashley Strauss (first base) of Eastern Michigan, Erica Singer (outfield) and Leslie Stong (first base) of Toledo and Mary Russell (outfield) from Buffalo.
Joining Jager, Mawn and Merchant with MAC All-Freshman honors were Alicia Barkley and Kate Wilczynski of Ball State. Katelynn Boso of Bowling Green, Brittini, Merchant from Central Michigan, Stacie Skodinski of Eastern Michigan, Jessica Carmichael from Kent State and teammates Melissa Bonner and Emily Wethington of Ohio.
