UND and NDSU players named to Summit League all-conference softball teams
BROOKINGS, SD (SUMMIT LEAGUE/KVRR) – The Summit League announced the 2024 All-Summit League Softball Teams and individual awards, with regular season runner-up Omaha collecting three out of the five individual accolades through a vote of the league’s seven head coaches.
South Dakota State junior infielder Mia Jarecki was selected as the Player of the Year, while fifth-year senior pitcher Kamryn Meyer of Omaha was selected as the Pitcher of the Year. Omaha fifth-year senior infielder Lynsey Tucker received the Defensive Player of the Year award with third-year head coach Mike Heard of Omaha earning the Coach of the Year. Rounding out the individual accolades is Kansas City’s Kadin Vire, who was named the Freshman of the Year.
Jarecki was a huge centerpiece in the Jackrabbit lineup, starting all 51 games she played in, including all 16 league contests. In league play, she ranked first in batting average (.440), runs scored (19) stolen bases (8) and second in on-base percentage (.509), OPS (1.149) and hits (22). Additionally, the Papillion, Neb., native ranked third in slugging percentage (.640) and sixth in home runs (2). Jarecki made just two errors at second base for a .964 fielding percentage.
Tucker earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor as the fifth-year second basemen made only four errors in 173 attempts for a .977 fielding percentage. The Lincoln, Neb., native also tallied a .984 fielding percentage in league competition.
Meyer was named the Pitcher of the Year after leading her squad to a 9-0 mark in the circle in league action, the lone pitcher to have an undefeated record. In 65.1 innings of work, Meyer struck out the second most batters in league play (75) and tallied a 0.63 ERA while giving up six earned runs. The Wilton, Iowa native tallied six complete-game outings in league action, earned a league-best 1.71 ERA (45th in the nation) among all games, recorded an opponent batting average of .153 in league competition and recorded a pair of saves in league play.
Meyer’s 22-3 ledger is tied for the ninth best in all of Division I and her four saves top the league charts. Her 196 strikeouts rank first in the league and tied for 12th in all of Division I, while her 155.2 innings pitched sits second overall.
Vire was named the Freshman of the Year and became first Roo to receive the accolade after she recorded a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 on 65 opportunities with 62 putouts. The Waxahachie, Texas native is one of five players to have a 1.000 fielding percentage with more opportunities. She had a pair of multi-hit games in league play, went 2-of-3 with an RBI in win over St. Thomas on March 23 and 2-for-3 with a run scored in win over South Dakota on March 29.
Omaha head coach Mike Heard earned the Summit League Coach of the Year honor in his third season with the Mavericks. Heard led his squad to an impressive 37-12 mark and the most wins by an Omaha squad in the Division I era. The Mavericks earned a Division I-era best winning streak of 16 games from March 2-April 5 and went 12-2 at home, 14-5 on the road and 11-5 at neutral site games. Heard and Mavericks held the nation’s longest winning streak in Division I when they won their 15th game in a row by defeating St. Thomas on April 5.
Jarecki, Tucker and Meyer were named first-team All-Summit League performers and were joined on the 14-member squad by South Dakota State’s Tori Kniesche, Brooke Dumont, Lindsey Culver and Emma Osmundson; Omaha’s Maggie O’Brien and Alex Olson; St. Thomas’ Laken Lienhard, Kaitlyn Raymond and Avery Wukawitz and Kansas City’s Camryn Stickel and Lexy Smith.
The 14-member Second Team All-Summit League Softball squad is comprised of South Dakota State’s Shannon Lasey, Rozelyn Carrillo and Jocelyn Carrillo; Omaha’s Sydney Nuismer, Sydney Ross, Jaelle Johnson and Sydney Thomason; North Dakota State’s Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage and Emilee Buringa; St. Thomas’ Cassidy Carby and Ella Cook; Kansas City’s Lauren Parker; North Dakota’a Jackie Albrecht and South Dakota’s Tatum Villotta, South Dakota.
Honorable mention accolades went to Kansas City’s Sydney Nichols, Katie Noble, Abby Husak and Briona Woods; North Dakota’s Cassie Castaneda, Angie Dumlao and Izzy Haslett; South Dakota’s Clara Edwards, Alivia Conte, Delaney White and Gabby Moser; North Dakota State’s Kaitlyn Dunford and Reanna Rudd and Omaha’s Ava Rongisch.
Six of the league’s seven teams will embark in Brookings Wednesday-Saturday for The Summit League Softball Championship. The action starts Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT when fourth-seeded South Dakota takes on No. 5 North Dakota followed by No. 3 Kansas City against No. 6 North Dakota State at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. All games will be streamed on the Summit League Network, while games six through nine will also be televised on Midco Sports.
2024 All-Summit League Softball Teams and Individual Awards
(as selected by The Summit League head coaches)
Player of the Year: Mia Jarecki, South Dakota State
Pitcher of the Year: Kamryn Meyer, Omaha
Defensive Player of the Year: Lynsey Tucker, Omaha
Freshman of the Year: Kadin Vire, Kansas City
Coach of the Year: Mike Heard, Omaha
First Team
P – Tori Kniesche, South Dakota State
P – Kamryn Meyer, Omaha
P – Camryn Stickel, Kansas City
C – Brooke Dumont, South Dakota State
INF – Mia Jarecki, South Dakota State
INF – Laken Lienhard, St. Thomas
INF – Maggie O’Brien, Omaha
INF – Lexy Smith, Kansas City
INF – Lynsey Tucker, Omaha
OF – Lindsey Culver, South Dakota State
OF – Emma Osmundson, South Dakota State
OF – Kaitlyn Raymond, St. Thomas
OF – Avery Wukawitz, St. Thomas
DP/UTL – Alex Olson, Omaha
Second Team
P – Jackie Albrecht, North Dakota
P – Shannon Lasey, South Dakota State
P – Sydney Nuismer, Omaha
C – Sydney Ross, Omaha
INF – Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage, North Dakota State
INF – Cassidy Carby, St. Thomas
INF – Rozelyn Carrillo, South Dakota State
INF – Jaelle Johnson, Omaha
INF – Tatum Villotta, South Dakota
OF – Emilee Buringa, North Dakota State
OF – Jocelyn Carrillo, South Dakota State
OF – Lauren Parker, Kansas City
OF – Sydney Thomason, Omaha
DP/UTL – Ella Cook, St. Thomas
Honorable Mention
P – Kaitlyn Dunford, North Dakota State
P – Clara Edwards, South Dakota
C – Cassie Castaneda, North Dakota
INF – Alivia Conte, South Dakota
INF – Reanna Rudd, North Dakota State
INF – Angie Dumlao, North Dakota
INF – Sydney Nichols, Kansas City
INF – Katie Noble, Kansas City
INF – Delaney White, South Dakota
OF – Izzy Haslett, North Dakota
OF – Abby Husak, Kansas City
OF – Gabby Moser, South Dakota
OF – Ava Rongisch, Omaha
OF – Briona Woods, Kansas City
