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Siena Heights Softball 2018 Season Recap

Siena Heights Softball 2018 Season Recap

The Siena Heights softball team ended the regular season third in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, earning the highest finish in program history since the 1996 season. SHU finished the season with a 21-15 overall record while finishing 13-7 in the conference.

Honored as the Most Valuable Player this season, presented by head coach Laura Klutsartis, was Racquel Ward. She was also named the WHAC Pitcher of the Year along with First Team All-WHAC, earning WHAC Pitcher of the Week twice and Player of the Week once. Ward pitched in 26 games while earning a record of 16-7 with one save, throwing 17 complete games. In the batter's box, she held a .415 batting average with a .744 slugging percentage as she earned 27 RBI and 17 runs. Ward also received the SHUspy for Best Female Newcomer.

Others named First Team All-WHAC include Hayley Turk, Kris Forest, Ashley Helmink and Kelsey Cherry. Making the All-WHAC Second Team was Skylar Crenshaw and Taylor Mowery.

The Rookie of the Year went to freshman shortstop Taylor Mowery while senior first baseman Kris Forest earned the Gold Glove. The Most Improved Player Award went to Lauren Valdez and Vanessa Wandrie.

Two Saints earned the 110% Award, Ashley Best and Paige Dean. In addition, the Coach's Award went to Kelsey Cherry, who was also the Siena Heights WHAC Champions of Character recipient.

The post-season awards continued as Kelsey Cherry was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-Region and All-American team, presented by CoSIDA. Ashley Helmink was also a Google Cloud Academic All-Region performer and a National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-Region recepient.

Siena Heights led the WHAC with 11 on the WHAC All-Academic Team and led the NAIA with nine Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. WHAC and NAIA honorees include Lexi Agers, Ashley Bearden, Kayla Boland, Paige Dean, Amy Nordstrom, Ashley Best, Lauren Best, Kelsey Cherry and Ashley Helmink while Erika Schwartz and Skylar Crenshaw were honored by the WHAC.