KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its postseason awards and All-MIAA teams for the 2023 softball season.
 
Seventy softball players received All-MIAA recognition for the 2023 season. Four student-athletes from four different institutions highlighted this season’s honors.
 
Missouri Western’s Sydni Hawkins was named the Player of the Year, Rogers State’s Sara Llamas-Howell was selected as the Pitcher of the Year, Pittsburg State’s Gabby Schulz was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Central Oklahoma’s Emily Deramus earned the Freshman of the Year title. Central Oklahoma Head Coach Cody White was voted the Association’s Coach of the Year by his peers.
 
Sydni Hawkins has been named the MIAA's Player of the Year for the second time in her career – she also earned the league's highest honor in the 2021 seaosn.

Hawkins was the league’s top hitter this season 77 hits and a MIAA-best batting average of .443. The senior from Wichita, Kan., also led the league in doubles (19) and tied for second in triples (5) and ranked among the league’s top-five scorers with 47 runs scored on the season. Her on-base percentage of .476 and her OPS of 1.120 also ranked in the league’s top-10. Defensively, Hawkins started all 53 games for the Griffons at second base. She was involved in 84 putouts and 107 assists and owns .941 fielding perceentage. She also was involved in a team-high nine double plays. Hawkins helped lead Missouri Western to the No. 6 seed in the MIAA tournament where the Griffons will take on the defending MIAA tournament champion, Rogers State.
 
Rogers State’s Sara Llamas-Howell was voted the Association’s Pitcher of the Year after finishing regular season action with a league-low 1.08 ERA. The junior from Pawnee, Okla., collected 21 of the defending national champions 41 total wins this season. She also owns a league-low opposing batting average of .191. In 142.2 inning, she stuck out 106 batters (33 looking) and allowed the fewest earned runs of any starting pitcher in the league. Llamas-Howell becomes the second straight Hillcat to tab the Pitcher of the Year honor as RSU’s Andrea Morales earned the honor for the 2022 season.
 
Pittsburg State’s shortstop Gabby Schultz was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. The redshirt junior from Gardner, Kan., was involved in 61 putouts and ranked in the league’s top-10 with 107 assists. She had just one error all season to own an impressive .994 fielding percentage which ties for sixth in the MIAA. Offensively, Schultz hit for .331 with 46 hits and 21 runs scored.
 
Emily Deramus was named the Association’s Freshman of the Year after ranking in the league’s top-10 in ten different offensive categories. The first year from Edmond, Okla., ranked second in the league in doubles (18), fourth in triples (4), sixth in hits (63), seventh in slugging percentage (.682) and runs scored (45), and eighth in RBIs (41) and home runs (9). Deramus also accumulated a .371 batting average in helping the Bronchos capture the MIAA regular season title and No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament. Defensively, Dermaus started all 49 games at shortstop and owns a fielding percentage of .955. She was involved in 84 assists and 64 putouts, and tied for eighth in the league with 11 double plays. 
 
Central Oklahoma’s Head Coach Cody White was voted the Coach of the Year by his peers. In his 10th season leading the Bronchos, White captured his fifth regular season title as UCO finished an impressive 23-3 in the league and 43-6 overall. The Bronchos own a league-best team batting average of .334 and had a MIAA-high 456 hits, 368 runs and 331 RBI. The Bronchos also led the league defensively with a team-best .980 fielding percentage. This is White’s third MIAA Coach of the Year title (2023, 2019, 2017).

Below is a complete list of the 2023 MIAA softball postseason awards, All-MIAA teams and Gold Glove Team.

The 2023 MIAA Softball Championship begins Wednesday, May 3 at the Envista Softball Complex in Topeka, Kan. For more information about the 2023 tournament, visit the championship central page.
 
2023 MIAA Softball Postseason Awards
Players of the Year – Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western, Sr.
Pitcher of the Year – Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State, Jr. 
Defense Player of the Year – Gabby Schulz – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Freshman of the Year – Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma 
Coach of the Year – Cody White – Central Oklahoma 
 
2023 All-MIAA Softball Teams
First Team
Pitcher: Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State, Jr. 
Pitcher: Jaycee Ginter – Washburn, Jr. 
Catcher: Callie Yellin – Rogers State, Jr. 
First Base: Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State, Jr. 
Second Base: Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western, Sr. 
Shortstop: Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma, Fr. 
Third Base: Shayla Harper – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
Outfield: Ashlyn Cook – Central Missouri, Gr.
Outfield: Jacee Minter – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
Outfield: Yazmin Vargas – Missouri Southern, Jr. 
Designated Player: Chloe Bohuslavicky – Northeastern State, Jr. 
Utility/Pitcher: Savannah Evans – Northeastern State, Jr. 
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Tatum Long – Central Oklahoma, Jr. 
 
Second Team
Pitcher: Sam Pederson – Missouri Western, Sr.
Pitcher: Jordyn Pipkin – Central Oklahoma, So. 
Catcher: Amelya Huggins – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
First Base: Bridgett Morales – Rogers State, So. 
Second Base: Leighton Withers – Missouri Southern, Sr. 
Shortstop: Abbey Fischer – Central Missouri, Sr. 
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn, Jr. 
Outfield: Heather Arnett – Pittsburg State, Fr.
Outfield: Mackenzie Devine – Missouri Western, So. 
Outfield: Peyton Shepard – Fort Hays State, Fr. 
Designated Player: Ari Cordova – Emporia State, Jr. 
Utility/Pitcher: Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma, So. 
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Leslie Callahan – Lincoln, Jr. 
 
Gold Glove Team
Pitcher: Jaycee Ginter – Washburn, Jr.
Catcher: Emily Sampson – Northeastern State, Jr. 
First Base: Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State, Jr. 
Second Base: Mikayla Rutland – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
Shortstop: Gabby Schultz – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn, Jr. 
Outfield: Avery Anderson – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma, Fr. 
Outfield: Adrianna Young – Missouri Southern, Jr. 
 
Honorable Mentions
Central Missouri: Paige Petefish (Pitcher); Makenzie McAtee (First Base); Jessica Sader (Third Base); MaKenzie Cooper (Designated Player)

Central Oklahoma: Rylee Lemos (Outfield)
 
Fort Hays State: Savanah Egger (Pitcher); Carly Stuke (Outfield)
 
Missouri Southern: Avery Tallman (Pitcher); Ashlynn Williams (Catcher); Katie Gray (First Base); Josie Tofpi (Shortstop); Emily Perry (Outfield); Kara Amos (Utility/Pitcher) 
 
Missouri Western: Harley Pruetting (Pitcher); Kennedy Preston (Catcher); Abby Dickey (Outfield)
 
Nebraska Kearney: Katie Gosker (Catcher); Sydney Thomason (Utility/Pitcher)
 
Newman: Gianna Navarro (Second Base)
 
Northeastern State: Madison Heinle (Pitcher); Emily Sampson (Catcher)
 
Northwest Missouri: Olivia Daugherty (Third Base); Lillie Filger (Outfield); Omara Love (Outfield)
 
Pittsburg State: Hannah Harrison (Pitcher); Taylor Lambert (Second Base); Gabby Schultz (Shortstop); Kylee Bohle (Designated Player)
 
Rogers State: Jade Sanders (Pitcher); Abbey Rogers (Catcher); Nicole Price (Shortstop); Jaylan Gibson (Third Base); Paxton Donaldson (Outfield)
 
Washburn: Hadley Kerschen (Second Base)