May 18, 2011

Complete Release in PDF Format

Park Ridge, Ill. – The Big Ten announced on Wednesday the 2011 All-Conference softball teams and individual award winners. Michigan’s Amanda Chidester was named Big Ten Player of the Year, while Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins garnered Coach of the Year honors. Indiana senior Morgan Melloh was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, while Minnesota pitcher Sara Moulton earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades from the conference’s coaches.

Chidester garners Player of the Year honors following a season in which she batted .492 during Big Ten play, which ranked second in the conference. She started all 20 games for the Wolverines, had six home runs and 35 RBI with an .820 slugging percentage. In the field, she finished with just three errors on the year at third base to become the third Wolverine in two years to win the honor. Former Michigan standouts Nikki Nemitz and Maggie Viefhaus shared the honor last season.

Melloh is the conference’s Pitcher of the Year after hurling every inning for the Hoosiers during the Big Ten season. She finished the conference season with a 1.07 ERA, posted a 17-3 record, and set the Big Ten record with 221 strikeouts during conference play. She had seven shutouts during the conference season and limited opponents to .155 hitting to become Indiana’s first Pitcher of the Year since Gina Ugo in 1996.

Moulton was named the conference’s top freshman after completing her debut season with nine victories and a 2.20 ERA, which ranked fourth in conference play. The Freshman of the Year pitched 102 innings, finishing with four complete-game shutouts in 16 starts during Big Ten play. She becomes the second Minnesota player to earn Freshman of the Year honors, following Brenda Bixby in 1988.

After guiding Michigan to its fourth straight Big Ten title and 14th overall, Hutchins garnered Coach of the Year accolades for the 12th time. The Wolverines finished the Big Ten season 18-2 and consistently ranked at or near the top of the national polls all season. The Wolverines also earned the No. 10 overall seed in the NCAA Championship and will host during this weekend’s regional round.

The Big Ten also announced the 11 Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The 2011 All-Big Ten teams and individual honorees can be found below and through the attached PDF.

ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

First Team
C – Brett Williams, Jr., MSU
1B – Sara Olson, Sr., IND
2B – Danielle Zymkowitz, Sr., ILL
SS – Emily Allard, So., NU
3B – Amanda Chidester, Jr., MICH
OF – Bree Evans, Jr., MICH
OF – Lindsey Rains, Fr., PUR
OF – Nicole Sappingfield, Fr. MICH
UT – Jessica Davis, So., ILL
DP – Karla Powell, Jr., WIS
P – Morgan Melloh, Sr., IND
P – Jordan Taylor, Sr., MICH

Second Team
C – Liz Watkins, Jr., IOWA
1B – Adrienne Monka, Jr., NU
2B – Marisa Bast, Fr., NU
SS – Lindsey Hansen, Sr., MSU
3B – Robin Thompson, Sr., NU
OF – Hollie Pinchback, Sr., ILL
OF – Mary Massei, Fr., WIS
OF – Cassidy Bell, So., PSU
UT – Lisa Akamine, Jr., PSU
DP – Amanda Wagner, So., IND
P – Sara Moulton, Fr., MINN
P – Jackie Hill, Sr., PSU

Third Team
OF – Jenna Abraham, Fr., IND
2B – Katie Keim, Jr., IOWA
C – Caitlin Blanchard, Fr., MICH
DP – Alycia Ryan, Sr., MICH
3B – Ali Grant, Jr., MSU
1B – Malisa Barnes, Sr., MINN
OF – Jordan Wheeler, Sr., NU
SS – Alicia Herron, Jr., OSU
OF – Alyssa Sovereign, Fr., PSU
UT – Lauren Grant, Fr., PUR
OF – Andie Varsho, Fr., PUR
OF – Jennifer Krueger, Sr., WIS

Player of the Year: Amanda Chidester, MICH
Pitcher of the Year: Morgan Melloh, IND
Freshman of the Year: Sara Moulton, MINN
Coach of the Year: Carol Hutchins, MICH

Sportsmanship Honorees
Danielle Zymkowitz, ILL; Sara Olson, IND; Chelsey Carmody, IOWA; Dorian Shaw, MICH; Jessica Bracamonte, MSU; Dannie Skrove; MINN; Olivia Zolke, NU; Dee Dee Hillman, OSU; Cassidy Bell, PSU; Lindsey Rains, PUR; Cassandra Darrah, WIS

Big Ten Softball

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