University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Hold 2014 Awards Banquet
9/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 5, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota softball team celebrated its 2014 season Friday night with its team banquet at the Mariucci Arena Club Room. At the event, Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Teammate of the Year awards were given out, and 2014 varsity letters were presented to members of last season's team by fifth-year head coach Jessica Allister.
Kaitlyn Richardson was named the team's Player of the Year for the second year in a row after becoming the third Golden Gopher to become a two-time All-American, receiving second-team honors as a junior in 2014. Richardson was also named First Team All-Big Ten, was a NFCA First Team All-Great Lakes Region member, and was a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Additionally, she earned Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after finishing the tournament with an .857 batting average, .889 on-base percentage, and 2.000 slugging percentage.
On the season, Richardson led the team in hitting with a .418 batting average and a .538 on-base percentage. She reached base in 52 of the team's 56 games and had a 23-game reached-base streak from March 9 to April 25. The Phoenix, Ariz. native's .752 season slugging percentage was the best in team history and her 21 doubles were the second-highest by a player wearing the maroon and gold.
For the fourth-straight season, senior Sara Moulton took home the team's Pitcher of the Year Award. The Second Team NFCA All-American went 27-8 with a sparkling 1.97 earned run average and 12 shutouts. Moulton, who was an All-Big Ten honoree for the fourth time, was also a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball National Player of the Year Award and became the second player in program history to earn the Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Moulton finished her Gopher career with a 112-50 record, holding program records for wins, appearances (178), innings pitched (1,017), complete games (108), no-hitters (five), shutouts (47), and strikeouts (1,184). Her 27 wins and 244 strikeouts led the conference in 2014.
The Teammate of the Year Award, the only award voted on by the players, was given to Erika Smyth. Smyth was a junior last season.
Sara Groenewegen took home the Freshman of the Year Award after a strong season both as a pitcher and at the plate. Groenewegen was Minnesota's first Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and also won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award, becoming the third player in conference history to earn both accolades in the same season. The White Rock, B.C. native was also named All-Big Ten First Team, NFCA Division I All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, and was a top-10 NFCA National Freshman of the Year finalist.
In the circle, Groenewegen registered a 14-3 record with a 2.23 earned run average and had an NCAA Division I-best 11.6 strikeouts-per-seven-innings rate. As a hitter, she had a .299 batting average and racked up 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in, reaching base in 45 of her 55 games played.
In its fourth season under Allister, Minnesota went 44-12. The program, which had two All-Americans, four All-Big Ten selections, and a team-record five all-region players, won its first Big Ten Tournament title in 15 years and reached the NCAA Tournament's super regional round for the first time ever. The Gophers achieved a national ranking of 12, the school's best rank since 1997 and had its highest finish ever in both major polls, ending tied for No. 14 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and No. 15 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
In the circle, the Gophers set school records with 487 strikeouts and 22 shutouts, marks that were both good for third in the nation in 2014. It was also a record-setting season at the plate for the maroon and gold, as Minnesota belted a program-best 68 home runs and record .501 team slugging percentage.
The team excelled in the classroom, as well, with three Big Ten Distinguished Scholars and a program-record 11 Academic All-Big Ten selections.
Allister was also honored for recording her 100th win as head coach at Minnesota, a victory that came on the first day of the season when the Gophers blanked then No. 17 LSU, 1-0. Her career win total stands at 142 heading into the 2015 season.
Player of the Year: Kaitlyn Richardson
Pitcher of the Year: Sara Moulton
Teammate of the Year: Erika Smyth
Freshman of the Year: Sara Groenewegen
2014 Letterwinners: Nikki Anderson, Bree Blanchette, Madie Eckstrom, Hannah Evavold*, Sydney Fabian, Hannah Granger, Sara Groenewegen*, Kelsey Klucas, Taylor LeMay*, Sam Macken*, Hannah Melick*, Erica Meyer, Sara Moulton, Paige Palkovich, Kaitlyn Richardson, Erika Smyth, Tyler Walker, and Kayla Wenner
*First letter received at Minnesota
