Holland Reporter

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its softball all-conference awards, with eight Lakers from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) receiving honors. Among them, Madelynn Pope has been distinguished as the GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

Pope, who is also included in the All-GLIAC first team, has achieved a .365 batting average, leading the team with eight triples, a .617 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.022. She is the ninth player in the history of GVSU's program to receive the Freshman of the Year accolade. Pope's conference play statistics are notable, with a .426 batting average and 1.217 OPS.

Joining Pope in the All-GLIAC first team is junior pitcher Nevaeh Ingram, who has achieved a team-leading 2.61 ERA and holds a 14-8 record. Ingram has pitched 142.1 innings and obtained 92 strikeouts. Notably, in her last three appearances, she has not conceded any runs and allowed just one hit in two of those games.

Seniority is represented in the All-GLIAC second team by senior Morgan Spicer, alongside junior Elizabeth Wesoloski, sophomore Faith Edwards, and freshman Karli Dorr. Spicer has sustained performance with 40 hits and 10 doubles over 50 games. Wesoloski has a team-high 43 runs batted in. Edwards has demonstrated patience with a team-leading 27 walks and a .429 on-base percentage, while Dorr complements her 115 strikeouts with a .302 batting average.

Junior Eliana Eiland and freshman Grace Usher have been named for honorable mention. Eiland's performance includes 41 hits, while Usher has accumulated a .304 batting average over 44 games.

GVSU is set to advance into the postseason with the GLIAC Tournament in Rosemont, Illinois. Entering as the second seed, the Lakers have a first-round bye and await their next opponents, to be determined from the match between Ferris State and Roosevelt.