Softball 5/1/2019 10:45:00 AM

Bronchos Dominate All-MIAA Softball Team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 1) – Regular season champion Central Oklahoma dominated the All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Softball Team that was released Wednesday, collecting three of the major awards and having nine players recognized.

Third baseman JoBi Heath was named Player of the Year, Bailey McKittrick was selected Pitcher of the Year and Cody White was tabbed Coach of the Year. It marked the fourth straight year a UCO player has claimed MIAA Player of the Year honors.

Joining Heath and McKittrick on the first-team unit were first baseman Carli Jones, outfielder Hazel Puempel and pitcher Sydney McLeod. Outfielders Lexy Dobson and Bailey Thompson were second-team picks, while designated player Allie Eicher and second baseman Casady Webb were honorable mention choices.

The Bronchos, 41-5 on the season, are hosting the MIAA Postseason Tournament that starts Wednesday. UCO faces Northeastern State in an 11 a.m. first-round game.

White was named MIAA Coach of the Year for the second time in his six-year tenure with the Bronchos. He has a 245-94 career record and has led UCO to five 40-win seasons, two conference titles and five Division II national tournament appearances.

Heath -- who last week was named to the NFCA Top 25 list for Division II Player of the Year -- has been UCO's offensive ringleader all season. The Edmond senior is hitting .400 and leads the nation in doubles with 22 while ranking fifth in runs batted in with 60. She's also clubbed a team-high 11 home runs and has had hitting streaks of 11-, 12- and 13-games this season.

Heath becomes just the fourth four-time All-Conference player in school history. She was a second-team All-MIAA selection each of the previous three years, twice in left field and then again at third base after switching positions last year.

McKittrick leads the MIAA in wins (21), earned run average (1.84) and opponent batting average (.237) and has just 41 batters in 140.2 innings. The right-handed rookie from Moore has 13 complete games in 19 starts with one no-hitter and two three-hitters.

McKittrick is UCO's first-ever MIAA Pitcher of the Year winner.

McLeod is second in the league in ERA (2.31) and has a 17-3 record. The junior left-hander from Goodyear, Ariz. has started a team-high 22 games and has only 31 walks in 109 innings.

Jones made the first-team squad after being a second-team pick in 2016 and '17. The senior from Inola is hitting .357 with 11 doubles, six homers and 36 RBI.

Puempel came to UCO this year after spending the previous two seasons at Texas Woman's, where she was twice a second-team All-Lone Star Conference selection. The junior from Tool, Texas has a .392 average with 16 doubles, four triples, four homers, 47 RBI and a team-best .503 on-base percentage.

Thompson, a senior from Edmond, has been a defensive mainstay in center field in addition to her exploits at the plate. She's batting .386 with nine doubles, seven triples and a team-high 14 stolen bases and enters the conference tournament riding a 12-game hitting streak.

Dobson leads the Bronchos with a .418 average to go along with nine doubles, two triples and 27 RBI. The sophomore from Tulsa has six assists from her left field position.

Eicher, a sophomore from Owasso, enters the postseason with a .313 average, eight doubles, three homers and 27 RBI despite missing eight games to injury in early April.

Webb, a senior from Davis, is hitting .331 with five doubles, five homers and 37 RBI.

2019 MIAA Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: JoBi Heath - Central Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Kala Holder - Pittsburg State
Pitcher of the Year: Bailey McKittrick - Central Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Carlee Liesch - Nebraska Kearney
Coach of the Year: Cody White - Central Oklahoma

All-MIAA First-Team
Pitcher: Bailey McKittrick - Central Oklahoma, Sydney McLeod - Central Oklahoma
Catcher: Alexis Howe - Nebraska Kearney
First Base: Carli Jones - Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Kaity Kukowski - Pittsburg State
Shortstop: Taylor Kirk – Washburn
Third Base: JoBi Heath - Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Hazel Puempel - Central Oklahoma, Morgan Frost - Missouri Western, Carlee Liesch - Nebraska Kearney, Samantha Stallbaumer – Washburn
Designated Player: Brea Blanton - Missouri Western
Utility/Pitcher: Stormee Galka – Lindenwood
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Kala Holder - Pittsburg State

All-MIAA Second-Team
Pitcher: Taurean Guzman - Missouri Southern, Kaili Hinds - Missouri Western, Gail Young - Northeastern State, Halle Brin - Pittsburg State, Raegen Hamm – Washburn
Catcher: Sara Breckbill - Fort Hays State
First Base: Camryn Pryor – Lincoln
Second Base: Sydni Hawkins - Missouri Western
Shortstop: Austine Pauley – Lindenwood
Third Base: Cheyenne Hamilton - Nebraska Kearney
Outfielder: Lexy Dobson - Central Oklahoma, Bailey Thompson - Central Oklahoma, Lauryn Deer - Central Missouri
Designated Player: Gabby Biondo - Emporia State
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Winter Henry – Washburn

All-MIAA Honorable Mention
Central Missouri: Alexa Bradley - Pitcher, Ashlyn Cook - Outfield, Hailey Crabtree - First Base, Taylor Dames - Outfield, Alexis Koop - Second Base, Makenzie McAtee - Designated Player, Jessica Sader – Pitcher
Central Oklahoma: Allie Eicher - Designated Player, Casady Webb - Second Base
Emporia State: Cassidy Beem - Catcher, Kenzie Garvin - Outfield, Valerie Kinney - Utility/Non-Pitcher, Hannah Steeby – Shortstop
Fort Hays State: Terran Caldwell - Outfield, Hailey Chapman - Pitcher, Lily Sale – Shortstop
Lincoln: Jordan Lawson – Outfield
Lindenwood: Hannah Porter - First Base
Missouri Southern: Lexi Ferrari - Utility/Non-Pitcher, Makaila Leonhart - Second Base, Josie Tofpi – Shortstop
Missouri Western: Gabi Carter - First Base, Emma Hoffart- Third Base, Cassidy Kelsheimer – Catcher
Nebraska-Kearney: Sarah Handrahan - Pitcher, Alexis Ray - Outfield, Sara Sempek - First Base
Northeastern State: Haley Acrey - Third Base, Alyssia Crick - Designated Player, Sierra Crick - Outfield, Kyla Ibarra - Catcher, Maddie Boyd - Second Base
Northwest Missouri: Kaitlyn Weis – Shortstop
Pittsburg State: Dru Collins - Pittsburg State, Makenzie Goswick - First Base|
Washburn: Brianna Fuchs - Outfield, Savannah Moore - Third Base, Bailey Zuniga - Pitcher

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Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson: OF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#10 Allie Eicher: IF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R

#13 JoBi Heath: IF/OF; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#15 Carli Jones: 1B; 5' 7"; Senior; L/R

#22 Bailey Thompson: OF; 5' 4"; Senior; L/R

#7 Casady Webb: UT; 5' 5"; Senior; R/R

#27 Bailey McKittrick: P; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#35 Sydney McLeod: P; 5' 10"; Junior; -/L

#28 Hazel Puempel: UT; 5' 9"; Junior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#10 Allie Eicher
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R
: IF

#13 JoBi Heath
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: IF/OF

#15 Carli Jones
: 5' 7"; Senior; L/R
: 1B

#22 Bailey Thompson
: 5' 4"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#7 Casady Webb
: 5' 5"; Senior; R/R
: UT

#27 Bailey McKittrick
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#35 Sydney McLeod
: 5' 10"; Junior; -/L
: P

#28 Hazel Puempel
: 5' 9"; Junior; L/R
: UT