Eastern Illinois' Megan Burton was named the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while Southeast Missouri's Rachel Rook was tabbed as the 2021 OVC Pitcher of the Year as voted on by the league's head softball coaches and sports information directors. Austin Peay's Jordan Benefiel earned OVC Freshman of the Year while Southeast Missouri's Mark Redburn was named the OVC Coach of the Year.
A native of Danville, Ill., Burton leads the league with 18 home runs while ranking second in runs scored (43), RBI (46) and total bases (110). Her 18 home runs set a new school record. The All-OVC first team selection posted a .324 batting average and had 47 hits this season. During conference play she led the OVC with 15 home runs, 33 runs scored and 86 total bases. She hit .364 with 30 runs batted in during league play. She becomes the first Panther to earn OVC Player of the Year honors.
Rook, a product of Republic, Mo., leads the league with 18 wins and 174 strikeouts. The first team All-OVC pick also ranks first with four saves and seven shutouts. She posted a 2.21 ERA during the regular season. In conference play, she ranked first in wins (14) and strikeouts (22) while also finishing second with a 1.53 ERA. Rook also posted an OVC-best six shutouts in league action. She is the second different Redhawk to be named OVC Pitcher of the Year joining Sara Reichert who earned the honor twice (1995, 1996).
Benefiel, a freshman pitcher from Pendelton, Ind., ranks second in the league with a 1.70 ERA. The All-OVC second team and All-Newcomer pick recorded a team-high nine complete games, three shutouts and 77 strikeouts. During OVC play, Benefiel was in the league's top five in ERA (1.54) and shutouts (3). She also struck out 63 during league play. She is the third Governor to win OVC Freshman of the Year honors.
Redburn earns his second OVC Coach of the Year honor after winning the award in 2019. He led his team to it second straight and seventh overall OVC regular season title. The Redshawks are second in the league in batting average (.290), team ERA (2.74), hits (331) and home runs (42). Southeast Missouri enters the conference tourney having won seven of it last eight games. It marks the seventh time a coach from Southeast Missouri has won this honor.
Joining Burton and Rook on the All-OVC first team are Eastern Kentucky senior pitcher Tori Peterson (Pitt Meadows, British Columbia), senior catcher Zoe Mihalicz (Parker, Colo.) and redshirt junior Sammi Miller (Huntsville, Ohio); Southeast Missouri senior infielder Ashley Ellis (Arnold, Mo.) and senior outfielder Rachel Anderson (Edwardsville, Ill.); UT Martin redshirt sophomore Alexis Groet (Oskaloosa, Iowa) and sophomore infielder Kaitlyn Kelley (Lexington, Tenn.); Austin Peay junior infielder Lexi Osowski (San Diego, Calif.); Eastern Illinois redshirt senior utility/designated player Haley Mitchell (San Gabriel, Calif.); and Jacksonville State senior outfielder Jada Terry (Trinity, Ala.)
Along with Benefiel earning second team honors are SIUE redshirt senior infielder Zoe Schafer (Noblesville, Ind.), redshirt junior infielder Alana Cobb-Adams (Kapolei, Hawaii) and freshman outfielder Ava Bieneman (Geneseo, Ill.); UT Martin freshman infielder Kaci Fuller (Huntingdon, Tenn.) and junior outfielder Paige Clark (Lafayette, Tenn.); Austin Peay graduate student utility/designated player Kelsey Gross (Collierville, Tenn.); Belmont senior outfielder Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring , Texas); Eatern Kentucky redshirt junior infielder Carly Robinson (Fenton, Mo.); Jacksonville State senior pitcher Nicole Rodriguez (Fort Myers, Fla.); Murray State senior infielder Sierra Gilmore (Williamsburg, Ind.); and Tennessee Tech sophomore catcher Nicolle Nysted (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Joining Benefiel on the All-Newcomer team are UT Martin redshirt sophomore pitcher Alexis Groet (Oskaloosa, Iowa), sophomore infielder Kaitlyn Kelley (Lexington, Tenn.), freshman infielder Kaci Fuller (Huntingdon, Tenn.) and sophomore outfielder Shyanne Sheffield (Tullahoma, Tenn.); Southeast Missouri freshman outfielder Jillian Anderson (Rochester, Ill.) and freshman designated player Katie Dreiling (Jonesboro, Ark.); SIUE freshman outfielder Ava Bieneman (Geneseo, Ill.) and freshman pitcher Sydney Baalman (Hardin, Ill.); Eastern Illinois redshirt sophomore outfielder Morgan Lewis (Cedar Rapis, Iowa); Murray State sophomore pitcher Jenna Veber (Oswego, Ill.); and Tennessee Tech sophomore catcher Nicolle Nysted (Kennesaw, Ga.)
2021 Softball All-OVC Team
(Voted on by the League’s head coaches and sports information directors)
First Team
P – Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri – Jr. – Republic, Mo.
P – Alexis Groet, UT Martin - R-So. – Oskaloosa, Iowa
P – Tori Peterson, Eastern Kentucky – Sr. – Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
C – Zoe Mihalicz, Eastern Kentucky – R-Jr. – Parker, Colo.
IF – Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay – Jr. – San Diego, Calif.
IF – Ashley Ellis, Southeast Missouri – Sr. – Arnold, Mo.
IF – Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois – R-Jr. – Danville, Ill.
IF – Kaitlyn Kelley, UT Martin - So. – Lexington, Tenn.
OF – Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky – R-Jr. – Huntsville, Ohio
OF – Jada Terry, Jacksonville State – Sr. – Trinity, Ala.
OF – Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri – Sr. – Edwardsville, Ill.
UTIL/DP – Haley Mitchell, Eastern Illinois – R-Sr. – San Gabriel, Calif.
Second Team
P – Nicole Rodriguez, Jacksonville State – Sr. – Fort Myers, Fla.
P – Jordan Benefiel, Austin Peay – Fr. – Pendleton, Ind.
C – Nicolle Nysted, Tennessee Tech – So. – Kennesaw, Ga.
IF – Carly Robinson, Eastern Kentucky – R-Jr. – Fenton, Mo.
IF – Sierra Gilmore, Murray State – Sr. – Williamsburg, Ind.
IF – Zoe Schafer, SIUE – R-Sr. – Noblesville, Ind.
IF – Alana Cobb-Adams, SIUE – R-Jr. – Kapolei, Hawaii
IF – Kaci Fuller, UT Martin - Fr. – Huntingdon, Tenn.
OF – Cheyenne Cavanaugh, Belmont – Sr. – Spring, Texas
OF – Ava Bieneman, SIUE – Fr. – Geneseo, Ill.
OF – Paige Clark, UT Martin - Jr. – Lafayette, Tenn.
UTIL/DP – Kelsey Gross, Austin Peay - Gr. – Collierville, Tenn.
All-Newcomer Team
Alexis Groet, P, UT Martin - R-So. – Oskaloosa, Iowa
Jordan Benefiel, P, Austin Peay – Fr. – Pendleton, Ind.
Kaitlyn Kelley, IF, UT Martin – So. – Lexington, Tenn.
Jillian Anderson, OF, Southeast Missouri – Fr. – Rochester, Ill.
Kaci Fuller, IF, UT Martin - Fr. – Huntingdon, Tenn.
Ava Bieneman, OF, SIUE – Fr. – Geneseo, Ill.
Shyanne Sheffield, OF, UT Martin – So. – Tullahoma, Tenn.
Katie Dreiling, DP, Southeast Missouri – Fr. – Jonesboro, Ark.
Jenna Veber, P, Murray State – So. – Oswego, Ill.
Nicolle Nysted, C, Tennessee Tech – So. – Kennesaw, Ga.
Morgan Lewis, OF, Eastern Illinois – R-So. – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sydney Baalman, P, SIUE – Fr. Hardin, Ill.
2021 OVC Player of the Year: Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
2021 OVC Pitcher of the Year: Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri
2021 OVC Freshman of the Year: Jordan Benefiel, Austin Peay
2021 OVC Coach of the Year: Mark Redburn, Southeast Missouri