McKendree, UIndy Take Home GLVC Softball Major Awards

INDIANAPOLIS – McKendree senior shortstop Lauren Harris and pitcher Sami Huck, along with Indianapolis freshman Caitlin Bunte and head mentor Melissa Frost have earned major postseason awards for the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Softball season, the league office announced on Wednesday.

Harris claimed Player of the Year, Huck and Bunte earned Co-Pitcher of the Year honors, Bunte secured Freshman of the Year, and Frost was dubbed Coach of the Year by her peers. In total, 42 student-athletes claimed All-Conference honors, while 15 were chosen as GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship honorees for the sport and William Jewell was named the team sportsmanship award winner.
 
The All-Conference awards are nominated and voted on by league coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own players.

Player of the Year: Lauren Harris, Senior, Shortstop, McKendree
 

• Earns third Player of the Year award in four years and fourth overall for McKendree.
• Tied for first in GLVC-only games for hits (47) and home runs (12), along with ranking second in slugging percentage (.968) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.516).
  • Landed third in batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.548), and runs scored (34), as well as placing fourth in RBIs (33).
• Finished tied for the league lead in overall games for hits (83) and RBIs (58).
  • Ranked second in runs scored (62) and slugging percentage (.857), along with landing third in home runs (16).
• Started all 52 games for McKendree.
• Named GLVC Player of the Week on Feb. 9 and Mar. 9.
• Earns fourth consecutive selection to All-GLVC First Team.

 
Co-Pitcher of the Year: Sami Huck, Senior, McKendree

• Wins first Pitcher of the Year honor for McKendree.
• Led league in GLVC-only games for earned run average (0.80), opposing batting average (.139), strikeouts (143), strikeouts looking (34), runs allowed (11), and home runs allowed (1).
  • Tied for first in wins (14) and placed third in innings pitched (96.2).
• Paced league in overall games for opposing batting average (.190), strikeouts (224), and strikeouts looking (53).
  • Ranked third in ERA (1.93), innings pitched (166.2), and wins (21).
• Tossed four no-hitters, highlighted by a 20-strikeout performance against Parkside on Feb. 27.
• Appeared in 29 games for the Bearcats, starting 27.
• Named GLVC Pitcher of the Week four times: Mar. 2, Mar. 30, Apr. 6, and May 4.
• Earns first selection to All-GLVC First Team.

 
Co-Pitcher & Freshman of the Year: Caitlin Bunte, Indianapolis

• Wins seventh Pitcher of the Year honor and ninth Freshman of the Year accolade for UIndy.
• Tied for league lead in GLVC-only games for wins (14), along with placing second in ERA (1.33) and walks allowed (8).
  • Landed fourth in runs allowed (22), sixth in strikeouts (68), seventh in innings pitched (84.1), and eighth in opposing batting average (.219).
• Paced league for overall games in ERA (1.04) and tied for first in wins (26).
  • Tied for second in walks allowed (22) and ranked fourth in opposing batting average (.201), innings pitched (161.2), strikeouts (128), runs allowed (40).
• Added 18 hits, four doubles, three homers, and 15 RBIs with a .290 average in the batter’s box.
• Appeared in 29 games for the Greyhounds, starting 27.
• Named GLVC Pitcher of the Week three times: Mar. 16, Apr. 13, and Apr. 27.
• Earns first selection to All-GLVC First Team.

Coach of the Year: Melissa Frost, Indianapolis

• Garners ninth Coach of the Year award and fourth in the last six years.
• Managed the Greyhounds to 53-3 overall record and 27-1 conference mark, claiming the GLVC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the GLVC Championship.
• Currently ranked No. 2 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II poll.
• Mentored offense that topped the league in batting average (.335), runs scored (413), hits (524), doubles (94), RBIs (386), total bases (782), walks (282), and on-base percentage (.451).
• Guided the Greyhound pitching staff to league-leading numbers in ERA (1.91), hits allowed (279), runs allowed (130), earned runs allowed (101), walks allowed (94), and opponent batting average (.205).
• In addition to guiding Bunte to her major awards and All-GLVC First Team selection, she mentored three more players to first-team distinctions, as well as one to the Second Team and three to the Third Team.
   

UIndy led league programs with four first-team choices each, while McKendree and Rockhurst followed with a pair of honorees on the First Team. The last six spots on the First Team were filled by a single representative from Illinois Springfield, Lewis, Maryville, Missouri-St. Louis, Truman State, and William Jewell.
 
The league also recognized William Jewell as its GLVC Softball James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award team recipient, as well as 15 student-athletes 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.
 
A complete list of the 2026 All-GLVC teams and postseason honorees can be found below.


PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, McKendree
CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Sami Huck, Sr. McKendree & Caitlin Bunte, Fr., Indianapolis
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Caitlin Bunte, Fr. P, Indianapolis
COACH OF THE YEAR: Melissa Frost, Indianapolis
 

FIRST TEAM Shelby Cook, Sr., 1B, UINDY Emily Berry, Jr., 2B, RU Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, MCK Jamie Widule, Sr., 3B, UMSL Brooklyn Willis, So., OF, UINDY Cassie Smith, Sr., OF, TSU Mikayla Chairez, Sr., OF, WJC Morgan Spodarek, So., C, LEWIS Addison Koth, Jr., DP, MU Caitlin Bunte, Fr., P, UINDY Sami Huck, Sr., P, MCK Avery Huffman, Sr., P, RU Peyton Cusack, So., UT-NP, UINDY Rosie Bartletti, Sr., UT-P, UIS

SECOND TEAM Laila Ruiz, Fr., 1B, MU Jenna Kosnoff, Jr., 2B, MU Taylor Nelson, R-Jr., SS, S&T Katie Jensen, Jr., 3B, LEWIS Kiley Sullivan, Fr., OF, UMSL Keeley Elsea, So., OF, SBU Dani Laughlin, R-So., OF, UIU Phoebe Miller, So., C, UMSL McKenna Lester, Sr., DP, RU Kaley Adzick, Sr., P, DU Rosie Bartletti, Sr., P, UIS AJ Agers, Gr., P, S&T Bailey Masching, So., UT-NP, UIS Cheyenne Eads, So., UT-P, UINDY

THIRD TEAM Kaytie Kossina, Sr., 1B, UMSL Gracie Wright, Jr., 2B, LIN Cara Cooper, Jr., SS, UINDY Maya Rodriguez, So., 3B, UINDY Nicole Magdziasz, Sr., OF, LEWIS Ann-Marie Simpson, Sr., OF, LIN Emily Wood, Sr., OF, TSU Mya Bristow, So., C, RU Josie Jager, So., DP, UINDY Jordyn Foley, Jr., P, DU Ellie Vetter, Sr., P, MCK Mia Miller, So., P, S&T Sheyenne Kelch, Sr., UT-NP, WJC AJ Agers, Gr., UT-P, S&T

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Sportsmanship
Landry Cochran, DU
Jaden Watts, UIS
Abbey Brown, UINDY
Ava Reed, LEWIS
Mallorey Rogers, LIN
Jenna Kosnoff, MU
Ali Grenzebach, MCK
Isabella Welton, S&T
Ashley Borowitz, UMSL
Alexus Freeman, QU
Eva Fulk, RU
Shalie Wooden, SBU
Jayda Long, TSU
Cara Farnam, UIU
Alexa Almejo, WJC
 
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
William Jewell