Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Southern softball program had nine players earn All-MIAA honors as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, May 2nd.

This season the Lions are 36-11, 21-5 in the MIAA to be the second seed in the upcoming MIAA Tournament. In the latest NCAA regionally ranked announcement the program was the number two seed and has now secured three straight MIAA Tournament appearances and winning seasons for the first time since 2000-02.

Of the nine players earning All-MIAA honors six had previously been All-MIAA performers with all six having been All-MIAA for two prior seasons.

Yazmin Vargas is a first-team outfielder for the second year in a row and is now a three-time All-MIAA performer. The junior from Garden City, Kan. is hitting .415 with 39 runs scored, 49 hits, six for extra bases and has stolen 30 bases in 31 attempts. Among program single-season ranks she is tied for sixth for on-base percentage, seventh in stolen bases and batting average, 16th in runs scored and 25th for OPS at .981.

In program career ranks, Vargas is fourth in stolen bases with 84, sixth in runs scored with 119, eighth in on-base percentage at .405, 10th in batting average at .350, 15th in OPS at .855 and 22nd in hits with 149 and slugging percentage at .447

Leighton Withers is a second-team All-MIAA selection at second base for the first time in her career and is now a three-time All-MIAA performer. The senior from Benton, Ark. is hitting .403 with 25 runs scored, 52 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 44 RBIs, 30 walks drawn and six stolen bases while having a .775 slugging percentage and .546 on-base percentage. Among program single-season ranks she is first in hit-by-pitches with 13, second in home runs, walks drawn, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, third in OPS, fifth in RBIs, sixth in extra base hits, ninth in total bases, 10th in batting average and T-11th in doubles.

In program career ranks, Withers is first in on-base percentage at .475, slugging percentage at .662, OPS at 1.137 and hit-by-pitches with 30, third in home runs with 21, seventh in extra base hits with 61, tied for seventh in walks drawn with 54, eighth in batting average at .360, doubles with 34 and RBIs with 120, 12th in total bases with 239, 17th in fielding percentage at .972 and 22nd in putouts with 444.

Josie Tofpi is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at shortstop and is now a four-year All-MIAA performer. The senior from Moore, Okla. is hitting .326 with 28 runs scored, 46 hits, nine doubles, five home runs, 34 RBIs and 15 walks drawn to slug .511 and own a .394 on-base percentage.

In program career ranks, Tofpi is first in runs scored with 146, third in hits with 219, fourth in doubles with 42, fifth in total bases with 317 and extra base hits with 65, sixth in RBIs with 122, assists with 434 and triples with 13, seventh in OPS at .917 and at-bats with 618, tied for seventh in walks drawn with 54, ninth in batting average at .354, on-base percentage at .404 and slugging percentage at .513 and is 14th in home runs with 10.

Ashlynn Williams is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at catcher and is now a three-year All-MIAA performer. The senior from Oklahoma City, Okla. is hitting .297 with 27 runs scored, 41 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBIs and 18 walks drawn to slug .500 and owns a .386 on-base percentage.

In program career ranks, Williams is second in fielding percentage at .989, seventh in slugging percentage at .550 and OPS at .942, 10th in extra base hits with 55, 12th in putouts with 743, 13th in on-base percentage at .392 and 16th in total bases with 222.

Kara Amos is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection as a utility/pitcher and is now a three-time All-MIAA performer. The junior from Independence, Mo. is hitting .297 with 30 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 22 RBIs. In the circle she has appeared in 19 games for 43.0 innings while striking out 36 and limiting opposing batters to a .267 average.

In program career ranks, Amos is seventh in on-base percentage at .408, 10th in appearances with 77, 11th in strikeouts per seven innings at 4.91, 15th in strikeouts with 193, 17th in OPS at .855, T-20th in wins with 23, 22nd in innings pitched with 275.1 and 24th in slugging percentage at .447.

Adrianna Young is an inaugural gold glove selection as an outfielder after registering a 1.000 fielding percentage this season recording 69 putouts and five assists. At the plate the two-time All-MIAA performer from Tulsa, Okla. is hitting .330 with 28 runs scored, 38 hits, 19 walks drawn and 10 stolen bases while in conference action is hitting .450 with 17 runs scored, and a .548 on-base percentage to be second in the MIAA for conference games batting average and on-base percentage. 

Avery Tallman is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection as a pitcher for the first All-MIAA distinction of her career. The sophomore from Owasso, Okla. has a 2.22 ERA in 27 appearances, 18 starts for a 15-2 record and a save in 107.0 innings while striking out 55 and limiting opposing batters to just 25 walks and a .252 batting average.

Emily Perry is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection as an outfielder for the first All-MIAA distinction of her career. The sophomore from Bentonville, Ark. Is hitting .338 with 34 runs scored, 47 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBIs and nine steals to slug .525 and have a .415 on-base percentage.

Katie Gray is an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at first base for the first All-MIAA distinction of her career. The freshman from Lansing, Kan. is hitting .263 with 20 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs to slug .474.

Full MIAA Honors are listed below.

2023 MIAA Softball Postseason Awards
Players of the Year – Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western, Sr.
Defense Player of the Year – Gabby Schulz – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Pitcher of the Year – Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State, Jr. 
Freshman of the Year – Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma 
Coach of the Year – Cody White – Central Oklahoma 
 
2023 All-MIAA Softball Teams
First Team
Pitcher: Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State, Jr. 
Pitcher: Jaycee Ginter – Washburn, Jr. 
Catcher: Callie Yellin – Rogers State, Jr. 
First Base: Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State, Jr. 
Second Base: Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western, Sr. 
Shortstop: Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma, Fr. 
Third Base: Shayla Harper – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
Outfield: Ashlyn Cook – Central Missouri, Gr.
Outfield: Jacee Minter – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
Outfield: Yazmin Vargas – Missouri Southern, Jr. 
Designated Player: Chloe Bohuslaicky – Northeastern State, Jr. 
Utility/Pitcher: Savannah Evans – Northeastern State, Jr. 
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Tatum Long – Central Oklahoma, Jr. 
 
Second Team
Pitcher: Sam Pederson – Missouri Western, Sr.
Pitcher: Jordyn Pipkin – Central Oklahoma, So. 
Catcher: Amelya Huggins – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
First Base: Bridgette Morales – Rogers State, So. 
Second Base: Leighton Withers – Missouri Southern, Sr. 
Shortstop: Abbey Fischer – Central Missouri, Sr. 
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn, Jr. 
Outfield: Heather Arnett – Pittsburg State, Fr.
Outfield: Mackenzie Devine – Missouri Western, So. 
Outfield: Peyton Shepard – Fort Hays State, Fr. 
Designated Player: Air Cordova – Emporia State, Jr. 
Utility/Pitcher: Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma, So. 
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Leslie Callahan - Lincoln, Jr. 
 
Gold Glove Team
Pitcher: Jaycee Ginter – Washburn, Jr.
Catcher: Emily Sampson – Northeastern State, Jr. 
First Base: Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State, Jr. 
Second Base: Mikayla Rutland – Central Oklahoma, Sr. 
Shortstop: Gabby Schultz – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Third Base: Marrit Mead – Washburn, Jr. 
Outfield: Avery Anderson – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma, Fr. 
Outfield: Adrianna Young – Missouri Southern, Jr. 
 
Honorable Mentions
Central Missouri: Paige Petefish (Pitcher); Makenzie McAtee (First Base); Jessica Sader (Third Base); MaKenzie Cooper (Designated Player)

Central Oklahoma: Rylee Lemos (Outfield)

Fort Hays State: Savanah Egger (Pitcher); Carly Stuke (Outfield)

Missouri Southern: Avery Tallman (Pitcher); Ashlynn Williams (Catcher); Katie Gray (First Base); Josie Tofpi (Shortstop); Emily Perry (Outfield); Kara Amos (Utility/Pitcher) 

Missouri Western: Harley Pruetting (Pitcher); Kennedy Preston (Catcher); Abby Dickey (Outfield)

Nebraska Kearney: Katie Gosker (Catcher); Sydney Thomason (Utility/Pitcher)

Newman: Gianna Navarro (Second Base)

Northeastern State: Madison Heinle (Pitcher); Emily Sampson (Catcher)

Northwest Missouri: Olivia Daugherty (Third Base); Lillie Filger (Outfield); Omara Love (Outfield)

Pittsburg State: Hannah Harrison (Pitcher); Taylor Lambert (Second Base); Gabby Schultz (Shortstop); Kylee Bhole (Designated Player)

Rogers State: Jade Sanders (Pitcher); Abbey Rogers (Catcher); Nicole Price (Shortstop); Jaylan Gibson (Third Base); Paxton Donaldson (Outfield)

Washburn: Hadley Kerschen (Second Base)