[Softball] Five Lady Warriors Earn All-KCAC Softball Honors
WICHITA, KAN. - The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2019 all-conference softball awards. Student-athletes were selected for all awards by a vote of the KCAC head softball coaches. The award winners were presented during the KCAC Softball Tournament in Great Bend, Kansas last week. Sterling College had five Lady Warriors selected to the lists: Teanne Edens (JR/Cloverdale, Calif.), Miranda Escalera (SR/Santa Clarita, Calif.), Tiah Grass (SR/Pendleton, Ore.), Bailey Bodkin (SR/Stevenson Ranch, Calif.), and Kaycee Carter (JR/Pinon Hills, Calif.).
Teanne Edens was a named Honorable Mention All-KCAC at pitcher for SC. The junior was solid for the Lady Warriors in the circle this season, pitching 164 innings (35th in the NAIA) She finished the year with 12 wins and an ERA of 4.22, picking up 108 strikeouts for Sterling. Edens was also named to the KCAC Softball Gold Glove team.
Miranda Escalera was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC at third base for the Lady Warriors. Escalera has been key for Sterling in her career and had a strong senior season for SC. She led Sterling with a .377 batting average, collecting 52 hits and 23 RBIs this year. She had 17 doubles (30th in the NAIA) one triple, and two home runs for the Lady Warriors, while also being a key defensive part of the infield for Sterling. Escalera was also named to the KCAC Softball Gold Glove Team.
Tiah Grass was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC in the outfield for Sterling. The senior has been another solid four-year player for SC, continuing to improve year after year. Grass finished the season with a batting average of .325, collecting 39 hits and 25 RBIs. She had six doubles, two triples, and five home runs, including a walk-off grand slam against Hastings College earlier in the year. Grass also led
Bailey Bodkin was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC in the outfield for SC. As the leadoff hitter, Bodkin helped the Lady Warriors get the offense going early and often. She finished the season with 36 hits and 15 RBIs, earning three doubles and two triples with a .293 batting average. She was also 18 for 18 on stolen bases this season for the Lady Warriors.
Kaycee Carter was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC as the designated player for SC. The junior was big for the Lady Warriors at the plate throughout the season, as she led Sterling with 31 RBIs. She had a total of 45 hits, including nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs, finishing the season with a batting average of .315.
The Avila University Eagles and the McPherson College Bulldogs are the co-regular season champions, ending the season with 20-4 conference records. McPherson head coach, Tony Segovia, was voted KCAC Coach of the Year by his peers.
Avila's Mia Moreno earns the KCAC Player of the Year following a regular season where she hit a 0.467 average, 50 hits, 32 RBIs, 24 runs, and 12 doubles and five home runs. Christie Betker of McPherson College (1.30 ERA) earned KCAC Pitcher of the Year, while teammate Brittany Baroni was named Newcomer of the Year. Kat Davis of Friends University earned the 2019 KCAC Freshman of the Year honors.
The following athletes were selected by conference coaches as All-KCAC First Team, All-KCAC Second Team, Honorable Mention and Gold Glove Teams.