Murray State's
Jessica Twaddle was named the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while SIUE's
Haley Chambers-Book was tabbed the 2017 OVC Pitcher of the Year as voted on by the league's head softball coaches and sports information directors. Southeast Missouri's
Rachel Anderson earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors while Jacksonville State's
Jana McGinnis was named the OVC Coach of the year.
A native of Franklin, Tenn., Twaddle earns her second OVC Player of the Year honor after winning the award in 2015. She becomes the first player in OVC history to be named Player of the Year twice her career. The senior infielder ranks second in the OVC with 12 home runs while leading the league with 118 total bases and a .756 slugging percentage. Twaddle, an All-OVC first team pick, finished the regular-season ranked top five in the Conference in batting average (.404), hits (63), doubles (13), RBI (40) and walks (22). She has struck out just four times in 156 at-bats. She is the second different Racer to earn Player of the Year honors.
Chambers-Book, a product of Coatesville, Ind., was named OVC Pitcher of the Year for the second time in her career after winning the award in 2015. The first team All-OVC selection, leads the league with 24 wins and 23 complete games so far this year. She ranks second in the Conference in ERA (1.19), innings pitched (188.1), strikeouts (235) and shutouts (10). She has held opponents to a .184 batting average this season which tops the OVC. She tossed her fifth no-hitter of her career on March 24 against Tennessee State. Chambers-Book enters the tournament needing just 42 strikeouts to reach 1,000 for her career.
Anderson, a freshman infielder from Edwardsville, Ill., leads all freshman in the OVC with .412 batting average which is second overall in the league. The All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer pick led the OVC with eight triples while raking second with 110 total bases and a .719 slugging percentage. Anderson also finished third in the Conference with 63 hits. She hit seven home runs while also driving in 33 runs this year to pace the team. Anderson is the second Redhawk to earn Freshman of the Year honors joining Megan McDonald in 2005.
McGinnis earns her second straight and sixth overall OVC Coach of the Year honor, which is the most in league history, after winning the award in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2016. The Gamecocks captured its sixth OVC regular-season title after posting a 15-1 league record. Jacksonville State leads the league in batting average (.306) and ERA (1.19). The Gamecocks have not lost to an OVC opponent since March 25.
Joining Twaddle, Chambers-Book and Anderson on the All-OVC first team are Jacksonville State junior pitcher
Whitney Gillespie (Pelham, Ala.), senior catcher
Jamie McGuire (Glencoe, Ala.) and junior outfielder
Leila Chambers (Molena, Ga.); Eastern Kentucky sophomore infielder
Rachel Minogue (Corona, Calif.) and junior outfielder
Paige Murphy (Louisville, Ky.); Morehead State sophomore infielder
Allison Rager (Elkview, W.Va.) and junior utility player/designated player
Kylie Holton (Macclenny, Fla.); UT Martin junior infielder
Jodie Duncan (Munford, Tenn.); and senior outfielder Carly Gonzales (Anaheim, Calif.); and Tennessee Tech utility player/designated player
Alyssa Richards (Italy, Texas).
Earning second-team honors are Jacksonville State
Anna Chisolm (St. Louis, Mo.), junior outfielder
Emily Woodruff (Albertville, Ala.), and senior outfielder
Stephanie Lewis (Fort Meade, Fla.); SIUE senior infielder
Allison Smiley (Johnston City, Ill.), senior infielder
Sarah Lopesilvero (Simpsonville, Ky.) and sophomore outfielder
Alyssa Heren (Saline, Mich.); Murray State senior pitcher
Mason Robinson (Lewis Center, Ohio) and sophomore infielder
Brenna Finck (Maroa, Ill.); UT Martin senior pitcher
Brooke Kennedy (Bath Springs, Tenn.) and junior catcher
Aeron Smith (Bowling Green, Ky.); Belmont junior utility player/designated player
Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.); Eastern Kentucky senior infielder
Krislyn Campos (Las Vegas, Nev.); and freshman utility player/designated player
Haley Mitchell (San Gabriel, Calif.).
Along with Anderson, making up the All-Newcomer team are SIUE senior infielder
Sarah Lopesilvero (Simpsonville, Ky.), freshman infielder
Zoe Schafer (Noblesville, Ind.) and freshman pitcher
Emily Ingles (Scottsdale, Ariz.); Eastern Illinois freshman outfielder
Mia Davis (LaGrange Park, Ill.) and freshman designated player
Haley Mitchell (San Gabriel, Calif.); Morehead State junior pitcher
Chelsea McManaway (Wellston, Ohio) and junior designated player
Kylie Holton (Macclenny, Fla.); Belmont freshman pitcher
Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.); Eastern Kentucky freshman pitcher
Mollie Paulick (Centerville, Ohio); Murray State freshman outfielder
Kaylee Ranburger (Owensboro, Ky.); and Southeast Missouri sophomore outfielder
Mykaela Arellanes (Foristell, Mo.).
2017 All-Ohio Valley Conference Softball Teams
FIRST TEAM
P - Haley Chambers-Book (SIUE) - Sr., Coatesville, Ind.
P - Whitney Gillespie (Jacksonville State) - Jr., Pelham, Ala.
C - Jamie McGuire (Jacksonville State) - Sr., Glencoe, Ala.
IF - Jessica Twaddle (Murray State) - Sr., Franklin, Tenn.
IF - Rachel Minogue (Eastern Kentucky) - So., Corona, Calif.
IF - Allison Rager (Morehead State) - So., Elkview, W.Va.
IF - Jodie Duncan (UT Martin) - Jr., Munford, Tenn.
OF - Carly Gonzales (UT Martin) - Sr., Anaheim, Calif.
OF - Rachel Anderson (Southeast Missouri) - Fr., Edwardsville, Ill.
OF - Paige Murphy (Eastern Kentucky) - Jr., Louisville, Ky.
OF - Leila Chambers (Jacksonville State) - Jr., Molena, Ga.
UTIL/DP - Kylie Holton (Morehead State) - Jr., Macclenny, Fla.
UTIL/DP - Alyssa Richards (Tennessee Tech) - Sr., Italy, Texas
(13 people appear on the first team due to ties)
2017 OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Twaddle, Murray State
2017 OVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Haley Chambers-Book, SIUE
2017 OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
2017 OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Jana McGinnis, Jacksonville State
SECOND TEAM
P - Mason Robinson (Murray State) - Sr., Lewis Center, Ohio
P - Brooke Kennedy (UT Martin) -Sr., Bath Springs, Tenn.
C - Aeron Smith (UT Martin) - Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.
IF - Anna Chisolm (Jacksonville State) - So., St. Louis, Mo.
IF - Allison Smiley (SIUE) - Sr., Johnston City, Ill.
IF - Krislyn Campos (Eastern Kentucky) - Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.
IF - Brenna Finck (Murray State) - So., Maroa, Ill.
IF - Sarah Lopesilvero (SIUE) - Sr., Simpsonville, Ky.
OF - Alyssa Heren (SIUE) - So., Saline, Mich.
OF - Emily Woodruff (Jacksonville State) - Jr., Albertville, Ala.
OF - Stephanie Lewis (Jacksonville State) - Sr., Fort Meade, Fla.
UTIL/DP - Lexi Rouse (Belmont) - Jr., Macon, Ga.
UTIL/DP - Haley Mitchell (Eastern Illinois) - Fr., San Gabriel, Calif.
(13 people appear on the second team due to ties)
ALL-NEWCOMER
Rachel Anderson (Southeast Missouri) - OF, Fr., Edwardsville, Ill.
Brooklin Lee (Belmont) - P, Fr., Burns, Tenn.
Chelsea McManaway (Morehead State) - P, Jr., Wellston, Ohio
Sarah Lopesilvero (SIUE) - IF, Sr., Simpsonville, Ky.
Kylie Holton (Morehead State) - DP, Jr., Macclenny, Fla.
Zoe Schafer (SIUE) - IF, Fr., Noblesville, Ind.
Kaylee Ranburger (Murray State) - OF, Fr., Owensboro, Ky.
Emily Ingles (SIUE) - P, Fr., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Mia Davis (Eastern Illinois) - OF, Fr., LaGrange Park, Ill.
Haley Mitchell (Eastern Illinois) - DP - Fr., San Gabriel, Calif.
Mollie Paulick (Eastern Kentucky) - P, Fr., Centerville, Ohio
Mykaela Arellanes (Southeast Missouri) - OF, So., Foristell, Mo.