Mid-American Conference (MAC) Softball Awards were announced May 11, as voted by the head coaches of each team in the conference, where Ball State softball senior left fielder Faith Hensley took home the highest honor: MAC Player of the Year.
Hensley is the sixth player in Cardinal history to win this award. In addition to this honor, Hensley was named to the All-MAC First Team. For the season, Hensley ended with a .404 batting average, 17 home runs, 40 RBI and 63 hits.
In the second year of it's existence, freshman pitcher Angelina Russo won the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year award as well as being selected to the MAC All-Freshman Team. Russo threw the first perfect game in the history of Ball State softball in 2022 and finished the season with 143 1/3 innings pitched, a 4.05 ERA, a 12-11 win/loss record and 98 strikeouts.
Senior infielder Amaia Daniel joined Hensley on the All-MAC First Team after hitting .291 with three home runs, 31 RBI and 46 hits. For the second season in a row, junior pitcher Deborah Jones was selected to the All-MAC Second Team after throwing for a 105 2/3 innings, a 2.52 ERA, a 6-8 win/loss record with one save and 95 strikeouts. Freshman infielder Emma Richards joined Russo on the MAC All-Freshman Team with a .268 batting average, two home runs, 13 RBI and 22 hits in 23 starts.
Senior Amaia Daniel swings at a pitch during the first game of Ball State Softball's doubleheader against Kent State April 1 at the First Merchants Ballpark Complex. Daniel had a double in the in the bottom of the first inning, her only hit during the first game of the doubleheader. Eli Houser, DN
Ball State ended their season with a 22-31 overall record and a 15-14 record in conference play, finishing fifth place in the MAC, just missing the cut for the four-team MAC Softball Championship (May 12-14).
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