Gray and Williams Among Nine Drovers to Earn All-Conference Softball Awards
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Sooner Athletic Conference announced their individual postseason honors and nine different Drovers earned all-conference recognitions. Jaclyn Gray was selected as the conference's Player of the Year, while Sophie Williams was selected as co-Pitcher of the Year after delivering superb performances throughout the season so far. Furthermore, Gray and Williams were joined by Sierra Selfridge and Malea McMurtrey as first-team All-SAC selections, while Jadyn Goucher, Macanzie Ruth, and Jaylee Willis were elected to the second-team. Slater Eck and Jaycee Kievit each received honorable mention All-SAC nods.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR & 1st TEAM ALL SAC – JACLYN GRAY
Jaclyn Gray became the fourth player in program history to earn the conference's top honor for a position player. During the regular season, the SAC selected Gray as the Player of the Week on three separate occasions. Gray improved her numbers astronomically from a season ago, when she earned her first, first-team All-SAC selection. Through 51 games played this season, Gray has produced an incredible .434 batting average, along with 72 hits, 19 doubles, four triples, 11 homeruns, 44 runs scored, and 77 runs batted in. Furthermore, the senior catcher owns a phenomenal .795 slugging percentage and a .461 on base percentage.
This season, Gray led the Sooner Athletic Conference in hits, homeruns, runs batted in, and slugging percentage, while ranking second in doubles and second in batting average. Additionally, she leads the NAIA in RBIs and ranks in the top 20 of nearly every other offensive category.
In her historic career, Gray has appeared in 102 games, recording a .391 career batting average, along with 124 hits, 36 doubles, four triples, 16 homers, 74 runs scored, and 116 RBIs.
CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR & 1st TEAM ALL SAC – SOPHIE WILLIAMS
Sophie Williams extended the incredible streak of a USAO pitcher being selected as the conference's pitcher of the year. A Drover has earned at least a share of the award for the sixth consecutive season, after Emily Cerny earned the recognition in each of the last five seasons.
After earning a second-team NAIA All-American selection and a first-team All-SAC selection as a freshman, Williams looked like a seasoned veteran as a sophomore, delivering a 21-6 record, along with a perfect game and a no-hitter, a 1.37 earned run average and 233 strikeouts in 183.1 innings pitched. For her numerous impressive performances, she was selected as the SAC Pitcher of the Week three times.
Among conference ranks, Williams led the SAC in strikeouts, and she ranked second in wins and earned run average. She ranks 10th in the NAIA in wins and strikeouts and in 24th in ERA.
In her career, she has appeared in 68 games and owns a 39-11 win-loss record and has recorded four no-hit performances (2 no-hitters, 2 perfect games). Williams boasts a sterling career ERA of 1.46 and she has struck out 419 batters in 324.2 innings pitched.
1st TEAM
SIERRA SELFRIDGE – SECOND BASE
Selfridge earned her second consecutive first-team All-SAC selection after an incredible sophomore season. Through 49 games, she has produced a .400 batting average, with 58 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, four homeruns, 38 runs scored, and 38 RBIs. Selfridge was also phenomenal on defense, cleanly fielding .948 percent of the balls hit her way.
In her career, she has appeared in 112 games and produced a .375 batting average, with 123 hits, 24 doubles, eight triples, 10 longballs, 79 runs, and 81 RBIs.
MALEA MCMURTREY - SHORTSTOP
Malea McMurtrey delivered one of the best freshman campaigns in the NAIA this season and earned her first all-conference selection. McMurtrey has appeared in 47 games this season, recording a .343 batting average with 47 hits, three doubles, three triples, 52 runs scored, 33 stolen bases, and 23 RBIs. She currently ranks third in the conference in runs scored and fifth in stolen bases. Defensively, she ranks as one of the best shortstops in the country and earned the SAC Gold Glove award with an incredible .963 fielding percentage, with only five errors in 136 total chances.
2nd TEAM
JADYN GOUCHER – THIRD BASE
Prior to having her freshman campaign shortened due to injury, Jadyn Goucher was having a fantastic season. Goucher appeared in 40 games, tallying a .309 batting average with 34 hits, 10 doubles, nine homeruns, 32 runs scored, and 32 runs batted in. Furthermore, she owned a .403 on base percentage and a .664 slugging percentage.
She ranked third in the conference in homeruns and she was selected as the SAC Player of the Week once this season.
MACENZIE RUTH – OUTFIELD
Much like Goucher, Ruth had her season brought to a close early due to injury, but she was having yet another terrific campaign before having to shut it down for the year. The All-SAC selection is the second of Ruth's career and she was also selected as a first-team NAIA All-American a year ago.
Ruth appeared in 35 games this season, and produced a .311 batting average with 33 hits, a triple, 39 runs scored, and 13 runs batted in. Additionally, she stole 34 bases, which still ranks as the fourth most in the SAC.
JAYLEE WILLIS – OUTFIELD
The two-sport athlete began her collegiate softball career in epic fashion, producing a .319 batting average through 44 games played. Furthermore, she has produced 30 hits, three doubles, a triple, 28 runs scored, 17 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases. She also currently owns a .951 fielding percentage as the everyday center fielding during Ruth's absence.
With the Drovers clinching a spot in the NAIA Softball National Championship tournament, Willis joins very rare heir, as she has participated in the national tournament for multiple sports in the same season (women's basketball & softball).
HONORABLE MENTION
SLATER ECK – OUTFIELD
Eck made an immediate impact in her first season as a Drover, appearing in 39 games so far and owns a .345 batting average, along with 39 hits, three doubles, a triple, 17 stolen bases, 24 runs scored, and 15 RBIs.
JAYCEE KIEVIT – FIRST BASE
Jaycee Kievit saved her best for last, earning her first All-SAC selection in her senior season. In past years, Kievit has fulfilled her role as a pinch hitter and a leader inside the clubhouse, but this season she emerged as one of the premier hitters in the lineup. Kievit got majority of the reps at first base and appeared in 46 games, producing a .287 batting average, with 37 hits, nine doubles, three homers, 14 runs, and 32 runs batted in. She has been even better on defense, cleanly fielding 158 of her 160 total fielding chances this season so far, good for a .988 fielding percentage at first base.
In her career, Kievit has appeared in 75 games, tallying 47 hits, 12 doubles, five homeruns, 23 runs, and 37 RBIs.
GOLD GLOVE
MALEA MCMURTREY - SHORTSTOP
Defensively, McMurtrey has successfully fielded 131 of the 136 total fielding chances that she has had this season. She currently owns 78 putouts and 53 assists.
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Tuesday, May 9 at 4:00 PM CT, the entire field for the national tournament will be announced on the NAIA Softball Selection Show, available on the NAIA's YouTube channel.
Science & Arts will be a host site for the NAIA Softball Opening Round for the third consecutive season, which will take place from May 15-17, on the campus of USAO. The Drovers clinched an automatic bid into the tournament as a host, as well as the SAC Tournament Champion.
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