University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Honors Five Gophers
5/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2014
Big Ten Release
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Five University of Minnesota softball players were recognized by the Big Ten Wednesday morning when the league announced its 2014 Softball all-conference and individual award winners. Sara Groenewegen was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was a first-team all-conference honoree. Junior infielders Tyler Walker and Kaitlyn Richardson joined Groenewegen on the All-Big Ten First Team, while senior pitcher Sara Moulton was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Senior Kelsey Klucas was the Gophers' Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
The awards were based on the players' performance in Minnesota's 22 Big Ten conference contests and were voted on by coaches. The Gophers posted their highest league win total since 1999 with 16.
Groenewegen is Minnesota's first-ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Award winner and is the third Gopher to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year--Minnesota's last winner was Moulton in 2011. The White Rock, B.C. native is the third player in conference history to win both awards in the same season. Minnesota has three first-team selections for the fifth time.
Finishing the regular season with a 7-2 record in Big Ten play, Groenewegen held opposing batters to a conference-best .142 batting average and was second with a 1.81 earned run average and 104 strikeouts in 12 appearances. Her no-hitter against Penn State was one of her Big Ten-best four shutouts and she was one of two pitchers with multiple saves in conference games. At the plate, Groenewegen hit for a .303 average with a .387 on-base percentage and a .591 slugging percentage. She hit five home runs and doubled four times.
Walker earned her second-consecutive First Team All-Big Ten honor after being named to the third team as a freshman. The San Jose, Calif. native was one of five eligible batters to hit .400 or better in conference play and had the league's second-best slugging percentage at .871. She was also third with 21 RBI and was fifth in both on-base percentage at .519 and home runs with six. The third-year shortstop was one of the league's speediest players with nine doubles, three triples, and seven steals, all marks that put her in the league's top six.
Like Walker, Richardson also notched her second All-Big Ten First Team honor in as many years. The Phoenix, Ariz. native was one of seven hitters with an on-base percentage of .500 or better in the Big Ten. She hit for a .371 average and hit eight doubles and three home runs, finishing with a slugging percentage of .645. She drove in 17 runs and tied for third in the conference with 16 walks.
Moulton earned All-Big Ten honors for the fourth time with a 9-4 record and a 2.43 earned run average. Her ERA ranked her sixth in the league, as did her 64 strikeouts and .240 opposing batting average. Her nine wins were the third-most and her two shutouts were fifth-most.
2014 Softball All-Conference Teams and Individual Awards
First Team All-Big Ten
Megan Blank, Jr., SS, IOWA
LYNDSAY DOYLE, Sr., OF, MICH
SIERRA ROMERO, So., SS, MICH
Nicole Sappingfield, Sr., OF, MICH
Sara Groenewegen, Fr., P, MINN
Kaitlyn Richardson, Jr., 3B, MINN
Tyler Walker, Jr., SS, MINN
Hailey Decker, So., 2B, NEB
Tatum Edwards, Sr., P/UT, NEB
Taylor Edwards, Sr., C, NEB
Marisa Bast, Sr., 3B, NU
Brianna LeBeau, So., 2B, NU
EVELYN CARRILLO, Sr., 1B, OSU
Cammi Prantl, So., OF, OSU
Taylor Watkins, Jr., OF, OSU
Ashley Burkhardt, Jr., 1B, PUR
Andie Varsho, Sr., OF, PUR
Mary Massei, Sr., OF, WIS
Second Team All-Big Ten
Kylie Johnson, So., OF, ILL
Breanna Saucedo, Sr., SS, IND
Megan Betsa, Fr., P, MICH
Taylor Hasselbach, Sr., DP, MICH
Lauren Sweet, Jr., C, MICH
Haylie Wagner, Jr., P, MICH
Sara Moulton, Sr., P, MINN
Alicia Armstrong, So., SS, NEB
Marjani Knighten, Fr., 3B, NEB
Emily Lockman, So., P, NEB
Emily Allard, Sr., OF, NU
Andrea DiPrima, Jr., OF, NU
Lexi Knief, So., OF, PSU
Tori Chiodo, Sr., 3B. PUR
Lilly Fecho, So., P, PUR
Danielle Fletcher, Sr., C, PUR
Michelle Mueller, Sr., 3B, WIS
Taylor-Paige Stewart, So., P, WIS
Players in ALL CAPS denote unanimous selection
All-Defensive Team
P: Tatum Edwards, Sr., NEB
C: Taylor Edwards, Sr., NEB
1B: Evelyn Carrillo, Sr., OSU
2B: Abby Ramirez, Fr., MICH
SS: Megan Blank, Jr., IOWA
3B: Marisa Bast, Sr., NU
OF: Nicole Sappingfield, Sr., MICH
OF: Emily Allard, Sr., NU
OF: Taylor Watkins, Jr., OSU
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sierra Romero, So., MICH
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Sara Groenewegen, Fr., MINN
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sara Groenewegen, MINN
COACH OF THE YEAR: Rhonda Revelle, NEB
Sportsmanship Award Honorees: Jenna Mychko, ILL; Lora Olson, IND; Brianna Luna, IOWA; Katie Luetkens, MICH; Ellie Stoffer, MSU; Kelsey Klucas, MINN; Mattie Fowler, NEB; Fran Strub, NU; Caitlin Conrad, OSU; Maegan Tupinio, PSU; Maia Monchek, PUR; Ashley Van Zeeland, WIS
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