EAST PEORIA, Ill. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced Wednesday night that Truman State University senior Christa Reisinger was selected as the Player of the Year in the sport of softball. Additionally, teammate Emma Walbert was named GLVC Freshman of the Year, while University of Southern Indiana junior Jennifer Leonhardt was chosen as GLVC Pitcher of the Year. University of Missouri-St. Louis mentor Amanda Scott was also voted by her peers as GLVC Coach of the Year. These individuals were recognized for their efforts at an awards reception on the eve of the 2019 GLVC Softball Championship Tournament, which begins Thursday, May 2 in East Peoria, Illinois. A total of 42 student-athletes were also recognized as All-Conference honorees and 14 student-athletes were nominated for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.
Reisinger has accomplished in 2019 what no other player in GLVC softball history has: earned Player of the Year honors three times. Not only that, but the center fielder is also the only league player in the annals to have won four major accolades, as she was voted the 2016 Freshman of the Year. Only one other player has earned three of the same major postseason honors, and that was southpaw stalwart from Missouri-St. Louis, Hannah Perryman, who was named Pitcher of the Year each season from 2013-15. The only other Truman major honoree was Kindra Henze, who won co-Pitcher of the Year in 2014. This season, Reisinger led the league in nine statistical categories, including batting average (.593), slugging percentage (1.030), on-base percentage (.654), runs scored (68), hits (80), home runs (13), total bases (139), stolen bases (51), and steal attempts (55). Those league-leading numbers also top the loop for GLVC-only games as follows: batting average (.589), slugging percentage (1.151), on-base percentage (.681), runs scored (38), hits (43), home runs (11), total bases (84), stolen bases (28), and steal attempts (31), along with walks (20). Not only does she lead the Conference in multiple categories, but Reisinger also boasts marks that top NCAA Division II, including batting average, on-base percentage, and runs per game (1.58), while her slugging percentage, stolen bases, and total bases clock in at second in the nation. At the beginning of the season, she was named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA DII Player of the Year watch list and just recently was added as a top-25 finalist for the accolade for the third year in a row. The Winfield, Missouri, native earned four GLVC Player of the Week laurels on Feb. 18, March 18, and back to back April 15 and 22, which made her the first GLVC softball player to win four times in a season for her eighth career weekly award. Moreover, her performance the week of April 15 was good for distinction as Louisville Slugger/NFCA D-II National Player of the Week. Additionally, this is her fourth-straight season being named to the All-GLVC First Team and the third campaign as a unanimous pick.
Leonhardt is Southern Indiana’s first-ever Pitcher of the Year in the sport and ninth overall major winner. She was the 2017 Freshman of the Year, while two others preceded her as the league’s top freshman in 1997 and 2000. Current assistant coach MacKenzi Dorsam was the 2015 Player of the Year, while four skippers earned Coach of the Year recognition, including current mentor Sue Kunkle in 2006 and 2017. Leonhardt was also unanimously named to the All-GLVC First Team thanks to her efforts in the circle during the 2019 slate with a 19-7 overall record with a 10-4 league mark. She topped the league in ERA (1.36), shutouts (11), batters struck out (215), and batters struck out looking (52), while she was second in opposing batting average (.189) and tied for second in wins (19) and saves (4), as well as third in innings pitched (169.2). In GLVC-only contests, the hurler led with a 0.92 ERA, a .187 opposing batting average, 128 batters struck out, 32 strikeouts looking, and 10 wins. She also came in tied for second with three saves and was third with 91.1 innings pitched and 18 appearances. Her mark for total shutouts ranks second in NCAA D-II, while her strikeouts is a top-10 national tally at No. 8. Three times this season, the junior was chosen as the GLVC Pitcher of the Week (March 18, April 2, April 8), while her effort the week of April 8 helped her pick up Louisville Slugger/NFCA D-II National Pitcher of the Week merits. In addition to her prowess on the rubber, the product of Louisville, Kentucky, also helped herself offensively with a .372 batting average with 11 doubles, a triple, a home run, and 30 runs batted in, even recording a league-best 14 sacrifices that includes 10 sac bunts.
Walbert’s top newcomer award is the second for Truman after Reisinger’s selection in 2016, while her major honor is the sixth for Bulldog softball standouts. The outfielder led the team in total plate appearances at 142 – including 90 in GLVC games that ranks fourth in the loop – and was second on the squad behind only Reisinger in five other offensive categories, including batting average (.373), at bats (142), runs (29), hits (53), and stolen bases (18). Walbert started all 43 games this season in left field with 53 hits and 22 RBI, slugging .401 with a .404 on-base percentage. Additionally, the Sherman, Illinois, native was tabbed an All-GLVC third-team member.
Scott was voted by her peers for the first time as the league’s top coach and is the fourth Missouri-St. Louis skipper to be chosen, as predecessor Brian Levin was a two-time coach of the year in 2011 and 2015 and Chuck Sosnowski was honored in 2009. In her third season at the helm, Scott has directed the Tritons to a 31-17 overall record with a 20-6 league mark that was good for a share of the GLVC Regular Season Championship, while also picking up the top seed for the GLVC Championship Tournament this weekend. In addition, Scott guided junior pitcher Andee Tiffee to All-GLVC first-team distinction along with two second-team award winners in senior pitcher Carly Kingery and senior first baseman Chelsea Martinez.
Reisinger and Leonahrdt are joined on the All-GLVC First Team by three other unanimous picks in University of Indianapolis sophomore first baseman Gianni Iannantone, USI senior second baseman Claire Johnson, and William Jewell senior catcher Courtney Beatty. Three other Greyhounds earned distinction with Iannantone, including sophomore pitcher Halie Waters, senior third baseman Taylor Podschweit, and senior designated player Shannon Schuetz. Maryville University was the next highest honored team on the First Team, as junior shortstop Jaclyn Pasakarnis, sophomore outfielder Hannah Tolley, and junior utility player pitcher Alyssa Callans were all recognized. Along with Truman, Jewell, and UMSL, Bellarmine University and Drury University each had one first-team pick with junior utility non-pitcher Rachel Ayer, and junior outfielder Jacy Ummel respectively chosen.
The league also recognized 14 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees and Truman as the team award winner. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced in May.
Each of the three All-GLVC teams is made up of 14 players, including four infielders by position (3B, SS, 2B, 1B), three outfielders, one catcher, one designated player, three pitchers, one utility player pitcher, and one utility player non-pitcher.
A complete list of All-GLVC performers and major postseason award winners can be found below.
2019 GLVC Player of the Year: Christa Reisinger, Sr., OF, Truman State
2019 GLVC Pitcher of the Year: Jennifer Leonhardt, Jr., Southern Indiana
2019 GLVC Freshman of the Year: Emma Walbert, OF, Truman State
2019 GLVC Coach of the Year: Amanda Scott, Missouri-St. Louis
FIRST TEAM
Rachel Ayer, Jr., UT-NP, BU
Jacy Ummel, Jr., OF, DU
Halie Waters, So., P, UINDY
Gianni Iannantone, So., 1B, UINDY #
Taylor Podschweit, Sr., 3B, UINDY
Shannon Schuetz, Sr., DP, UINDY
Jaclyn Pasakarnis, Jr., SS, MU
Hannah Tolley, So., OF, MU
Alyssa Callans, Jr., UT-P, MU
Andee Tiffee, Jr., P, UMSL
Jennifer Leonhardt, Jr., P, USI #
Claire Johnson, Sr., 2B, USI #
Christa Reisinger, Sr., OF, TSU #
Courtney Beatty, Sr., C, WJC #
# Unanimous selection |
SECOND TEAM
Kasey Cazares, Jr., P, DU
Natalie Cokel, So., OF, UIS
Morgan Edwards, Sr., UT-NP, UIS
Lauren Honkomp, Jr., P, UINDY
Haylie Foster, So., 2B, UINDY
Brooke Montgomery, So., SS, UINDY
Sydnie Foster, So., OF, UINDY
Cassie Shaw, Sr., UT-P, LEWIS
Elexis Swartzentruber, Jr., C, LEWIS
Cierra Taylor, Jr., 3B, LEWIS
Miranda Gajewski, So., DP, MCK
Carly Kingery, Sr., P, UMSL
Chelsea Martinez, Sr., 1B, UMSL
Adrienne Compton, Jr., OF, TSU
|
THIRD TEAM
Hannah Webb, Fr., SS, BU
Megan Holmes, Jr., DP, DU
Payton Long, Fr., P, UIS
Calla Wickenhauser, So., 3B, UIS
Taylor Danielson, So., UT-NP, UINDY
Brianna Livingston, Sr., 1B, MU
Avery English, Jr., P, S&T
Remi Ferguson, So., C, QU
Emily Clark, So., 2B, RU
Alicia Webb, So., OF, USI
Caitlyn Bradley, Sr., UT-P, USI
Alyssa Hajduk, Jr., P, TSU
Emma Walbert, Fr., OF, TSU
Lindsay Glynn, Jr., OF, WJC
|
2019 GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
Sabrina Fussenegger, BU
Abbey LeJong, DU
Jaycee Craver, UIS
Frankie Kontor, UINDY
Amy Bukovsky, LEWIS
Callie Francisco, MU
Sara Radae, MCK
Abby Klein, S&T
Reagan Osborn, UMSL
Jessica Poore, QU
Hanna Stam, RU
Alicia Webb, USI
Mackayla Gordon, TSU
Anna Biondo, WJC
2019 GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Truman State