Grimm Nabs MAC Player of the Year and Nan Harvey Award Honors
5/9/2017 1:26:00 PM | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Once again, Kent State senior Maddy Grimm has made Mid-American Conference history as the first student-athlete to be named Player of the Year and Nan Harvey Award recipient, as the MAC office announced its softball postseason awards Tuesday (May 9) afternoon. Senior Ronnie Ladines and sophomore Bailey Brownfield earned All-MAC First Team honors, while junior Emily Dobbin was an All-MAC Second Team selection as the Golden Flashes tied for the second-most honorees with four.
"I am very pleased with the recognition our team received from the other head coaches in the MAC," head coach Eric Oakley said. "Maddy is certainly deserving of the recognition she has received as MAC Player of the Year. Bailey, Ronnie and Emily have all had a huge impact on our team this year, and it's great to see them recognized for their efforts."
Grimm is the fourth Kent State player to earn MAC Player of the Year honors and the second Flash to receive the Nan Harvey Award, which is given to a conference player, coach or staff member who demonstrates the type of commitment, leadership, toughness and tenacious attitude that Harvey, an integral part of the University at Buffalo family for two decades, epitomized. Voted as a team captain this season, she has led on the field, in the classroom and in the community throughout her four years on campus and received with the Janet Bachna Award, which is presented to the Kent State senior female student-athlete who displays athletic, academic and leadership excellence, at last weekend's Devine and Starner Academic Honors Dinner.
"I am so thrilled that Maddy is being honored with the Nan Harvey Award," said Oakley. "It shows that the head coaches in the conference appreciate Maddy not jut for her athletic ability, but for her contribution to the sport overall. I have no doubts that she will continue to represent the MAC well at the professional level."
The fifth three-time All-MAC First Team selection in program history, Grimm set an unofficial conference record with 31 walks in MAC games and also led the conference in slugging percentage (.906), on-base percentage (.581), home runs (10) and RBIs (24). The conference's most feared hitter, her 17 intentional walks were as many as any other MAC player had total walks. Grimm was tied for second with 23 runs scored and had a .321 batting average.
Ladines was voted to the first team for the second time in as many years after leading the conference in victories (12), shutouts (5) and innings pitched (111.1) and ranking second in strikeouts (119) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.25). She went 7-0 with a 0.65 ERA in her final seven starts and closed the season with 24 consecutive scoreless innings via a perfect game, two one-hitters and a two-hitter. At the plate, Ladines was third in the MAC with six home runs and 20 RBIs.
Brownfield has enjoyed a breakout season in which she has been the Flashes' most consistent bat in the lineup. She batted .403 and collected 31 hits in MAC games to rank second and third, respectively, in the conference. Brownfield hit four doubles and one home run while driving in 14 runs. She hit .706 (12-for-17) to lead Kent State to a 7-0 mark over the final seven conference games.
Dobbin's production in the leadoff spot was key to the success of the Flashes' offense during the conference season. She had a .348 batting average and ranked fourth in runs scored (22) and sixth in hits (28), while covering a lot of ground defensively in both left field and center field.
Kent State won 9 of its final 10 conference games for the third consecutive season to finish 15-9 in league play and will enter the MAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Golden Flashes will play fifth-seeded Ball State in the tournament's opening game at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The eight-team, double-elimination tournament will be played at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
Player of the Year: Maddy Grimm, Kent State
Pitcher of the Year: Rachael Knapp, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Lexie Handley, Akron
Coach of the Year: Margo Jonker, Central Michigan
Nan Harvey Award Winner: Maddy Grimm, Kent State and Kayti Grable, Northern Illinois
All-MAC First Team
C – Bekah Harnish, Northern Illinois
1B – Kayti Grable, Northern Illinois
2B – Chandler Rice, Toledo
3B – Maddy Grimm, Kent State
SS – Mikayla Cooper, Ohio
OF – Bailey Brownfield, Kent State
OF – Allison Curtis, Central Michigan
OF – Ashley Sims, Akron
UTL – Morgan Geno, Ohio
UTL – Maison Kalina, Central Michigan
P – Savannah Jo Dorsey, Ohio
P – Rachael Knapp, Central Michigan
UTL/P – Ronnie Ladines, Kent State
2B – Maddy Labrador, Ball State (At-Large)
3B – Kat Lee, Miami (At-Large)
All-MAC Second Team
C – Madison Claytor, Ohio
1B – Marlee Wilson, Western Michigan
2B – Rachel Viera, Central Michigan
3B – Alex Day, Ohio
SS – Kali Kossakowski, Northern Illinois
OF – Emily Dobbin, Kent State
OF – Mackenzie Swinehart, Western Michigan
OF – Jenny Van Geertry, Northern Illinois
UTL – Megan Wurts, Miami
P – Lexie Handley, Akron
P – Hannah Warren, Miami
UTL/P – Ally Power, Buffalo
P – Danielle Stiene, Ohio (At-Large)
OF – Michelle Kriegshauser, Eastern Michigan (At-Large)
OF – Aspen Williams, Western Michigan (At-Large)
All-Freshman Team
Haley Dominique, Ball State, OF
Jessica Goldyn, Buffalo, C
Lexie Handley, Akron, P
Alexa Holland, Ohio, 3B
Darcie Huber, Ball State, P
Jenelle Martinez, Buffalo, SS
Mackenzie Swinehart, Western Michigan, OF
Haeley Tran, Miami, OF
Kendyl Wheeler, Bowling Green, OF
Kennedy Wynn, Ball State, OF
