Bloomington, Minn. – Four Gustavus Adolphus softball players were honored in the 2015 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Postseason Softball Awards released Tuesday, May 12. Seniors Sarah Rozell (Lakeville, Minn.), Kailey Morgan (Mound, Minn.) and Shelby Nosan (Baudette, Min.), and sophomore Hannah Heacox (Stillwater, Minn.) were named to the All-Conference Team, while Rozell was one of the four individuals highlighted the MIAC’s headline honors by being named the Pitcher-of-the-Year.
Bethel’s Angie Jackson (Sr., Oakdale, Minn.) was named the MIAC Player-of-the-Year, St. Catherine’s Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn.) received the MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year award, and Hamline’s Jim Rubbelke was voted the MIAC Coach-of-the-Year by his peers.
The Gustavus softball team finished the regular season ranked third in the conference standings after going 16-6 inside league play. The Gusties earned the No. 3 seed in the MIAC Playoffs where they went 3-0 en route to the program’s first MIAC Playoff Championship and four all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Gustavus finished its 2015 campaign with an overall record of 34-16 after going 1-2 in the NCAA Regional held May 8-9 in Pella, Iowa.
Making her third appearance on the All-Conference Team, Sarah Rozell is the first player in Gustavus softball history to be named the MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Year since the inception of the award in 2004. Pitcher Molly Biehn ’04 was the last Gustie pitcher recognized in the headlining awards, being named the MIAC Player-of-the-Year following the 2003 season.
In her 10 appearances – all of which were starts – and 62 innings pitched inside MIAC play, Rozell went virtually unscathed with a record of 7-1. She allowed just 11 earned runs (T-1st/MIAC) and led the league with an earned run average of 1.24. Rozell threw five complete games, ranked third in the league with three shutouts, and 11th in opponent batting average at .239. The Lakeville product walked a league-low six batters, struck out a total of 39 (11th/MIAC) for an average of 4.4 Ks per game (10th/MIAC), and allowed just six extra base hits (5 doubles, 1 HR).
Kailey Morgan earns her way on to the All-Conference team for the first time since her rookie season in 2012. Playing in 21 conference games at first base, Morgan ranked eighth in the conference in batting average (.415), fourth in the slugging percentage (.723), and 13th in on-base percentage (.451). The junior recorded 27 hits (11th/MIAC), eighth doubles (2nd/MIAC), and four home runs (5th/MIAC). In 152 chances at first base, Morgan tallied 146 putouts, six assists, and didn’t commit a single error. She posted nine multiple-hit games, four multiple-RBI games, and finished second in the league with 12 extra base hits.
Shelby Nosan rounds out the trio of senior All-Conference honorees with her second consecutive showing in the MIAC’s postseason awards. Locking down the shortstop position for all 22 of Gustavus’s league games, Nosan finished conference play with a .397 batting average (10th/MIAC), a .474 on-base percentage (8th/MIAC), and a .515 slugging percentage (22nd/MIAC). In what was an incredible feat, the Baudette native reached base safely in all 22 league games, recorded a hit in 20-of-22, and went on a 20-game hitting-streak against MIAC foes during April.
To round out the group, Hannah Heacox takes home All-MIAC honors for the second time in her young career. The right hook of Head Coach Jeff Annis’s two-headed starting pitching rotation, Heacox made 15 appearances, 11 starts, and logged 81.1 innings against MIAC hitters during the regular season. She put together a record of 9-3 and finished with an earned run average of 1.55 (4th/MIAC). Heacox was the top strikeout artist in the league with 114 Ks for an average of 9.8 per game (1st/MIAC). The sophomore led the conference with five shutouts, threw 11 complete games (4th/MIAC), and concluded the year with an opponent batting average of .202 (6th/MIAC).
MIAC champion Bethel led the way with four All-Conference selections, and both Gustavus and St. Thomas equaled that number as the MIAC Playoff champion and NCAA at-large qualifier also had four players honored. St. Catherine and Saint Mary’s each had three selections, Hamline had two, and Saint Benedict, Carleton, St. Olaf, Macalester and Concordia had one All-Conference player each. The team included 10 seniors, six juniors, five sophomores and four first-year players. All players who were nominated for All-Conference and received at least one vote, but were not among the top 22 vote getters (including ties) were named Honorable Mention.
To go along with Gustavus’s four All-Conference recipients, Paige Breneman (Sr., Sherburn, Minn.) and Carly Klass (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) were named All-Conference Honorable Mention.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the ninth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for softball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. Representing Gustavus on this year’s All-Sportsmanship Team is junior Addy Nelsen (Willmar, Minn.).