Trio of Golden Flashes Earn All-MAC Softball Honors
5/6/2025 4:00:00 PM | Softball
CLEVELAND — Kent State softball student-athletes Megan Claerhout, Kendal Leitner and Brynn Libler were named to the All-MAC Second Team, as the Mid-American Conference announced its 2025 postseason softball awards on Tuesday. Awards are determined by votes from the conference's 11 head coaches and are based on statistics from MAC games only.
The Golden Flashes' three all-conference selections are the most since 2021, and all three had top-10 batting average during MAC play.
Claerhout solidified her spot in the lineup late in the non-conference slate and batted .397 against league pitchers. She recorded multiple hits in 11 MAC games and ranked second on the team with 21 RBIs. Primarily a designated player and first baseman during her Kent State career, the sophomore made some highlight-reel defensive plays while playing second base for most of the final month of the season.
Leitner finished tied for third in the conference with 28 RBIs and ranked in the top seven in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.738) and OPS (1.194). She had three or more RBIs in five games and led the Flashes with five home runs. The redshirt sophomore also made 13 appearances in the pitching circle and had the staff's lowest earned run average. Leitner batted .400 overall for the season, the ninth .400 or higher campaign in program history.
In addition to finishing second in batting average (.446), hits (37) and runs scored (28) during conference play, Libler ranked third in on-base percentage (.535) and eighth in OPS (1.125). She had 11 multi-hit games and collected at least one hit in 22 of 26 MAC games. The junior finished seventh on Kent State's single-season runs scored list with 43 and tied for eighth for hits with 61. Libler reached the 100-hits milestone during Sunday's doubleheader at rival Akron.
The Flashes posted one of the best offensive seasons in the 50-year history of the program with single-season ranks of third in hits (417) and RBIs (236), fourth in runs scored (264) and fifth in batting average (.298).
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2025 MAC Softball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Ball State
Pitcher of the Year: Skipp Miller, Ohio
Defensive Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Ball State
Co-Coach of the Year: Mandy Gardner-Colegate, Miami; Jenna Hall, Ohio
Freshman of the Year: Samantha Bolding, Toledo
Nan Harvey Award Winner: Chloe Parks, Miami
All-MAC First Team
Meagan Lee, Outfield, Akron
Sophia Wygast, First Base, Akron
Maia Pietrzak, Shortstop, Ball State
McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Reagan Terwilliger, Outfield, Buffalo
Mackenzie Langan, Pitcher, Central Michigan
Carly Sleeman, Catcher, Central Michigan
Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
Madilyn Reeves, Pitcher, Miami
Madison Mathews, Third Base, Northern Illinois
Danielle Stewart, Utility Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Jenna Turner, Second Base, Northern Illinois
Brenna Farmer, First Base, Ohio
Skipp Miller, Pitcher, Ohio
Tristen Head, Utility Player, Western Michigan
Payton Kelly, Outfield, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Abbey Nagel, First Base, Buffalo
Grace Koenig, Third Base, Central Michigan
London Williams, Designated Player, Central Michigan
Megan Claerhout, Utility Player, Kent State
Kendal Leitner, Utility Pitcher, Kent State
Brynn Libler, Shortstop, Kent State\
Mckenna Campbell, Catcher, Miami
Shelby Kunkel, Outfield, Miami
Lily Cassell, Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Abby Kennelly, Shortstop, Ohio
Anna Wise, Pitcher, Ohio
Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Eli Enriquez, Third Base, Toledo
Kendra VanderLugt, Outfield, Toledo
MAC All-Freshman Team
Andrea Day, Akron
Madie Jamrog, Akron
Addie Martin, Bowling Green
Emily Gorman, Buffalo
Maddison Diekman, Central Michigan
London Williams, Central Michigan
Abby Kennelly, Ohio
Anna Wise, Ohio
Samantha Bolding, Toledo
Audrey Miller, Toledo
