EMPORIA, Kan. – Among all the NCAA Division II softball student-athletes competing in the 2026 MIAA Softball Championship,
Carsen Tinkler of Missouri Southern State University was named the Athletic Solutions "A Game" Scholar-Athlete for her performances on and off the field.
Established by the MIAA in 2022, "A Game" Scholar-Athlete Award presented by Athletic Solutions acknowledges the overall excellence of a student-athlete by recognizing one individual who has contributed to their team's success while also achieving the highest academic standard among peers. The student-athlete honored with the "A Game" Scholar-Athlete Award must be an active member of a qualifying team and must have a minimum of two terms completed at the institution.
Tinkler is a senior third baseman from Overland Park, Kansas, on the Lions softball team. Academically, she owns a perfect 4.0 grade point average with 110 credits completed. Tinkler will graduate from Missouri Southern State University this May with her bachelor's degree in marketing.
On the field, Tinkler was named a 2026 All-MIAA Third Team selection at third base. She enters the MIAA postseason ranked third on MSSU offensively, batting .370 with a .552 slugging percentage and .422 on-base percentage to go with 23 runs, 54 hits, seven doubles, seven homers, 33 RBI, 82 total bases and 16 walks.
Tinkler has played in all 52 games with 51 starts at the hot corner. She is second on the team with nine multi-RBI games and is third on MSSU with 16 multi-hit games. Tinkler went on a nine-game hitting streak this season.
In the field, she's also registered 36 outs and 94 assists on 136 chances for a .956 fielding percentage as the Lions' starting third basemen.
Tinkler and the Lions earned the top seed in the 2026 MIAA Softball Championship after finishing 20-4 against conference opponents in the regular season. Missouri Southern's first game in the postseason tournament is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday against No. 8 seed Washburn.
Tinkler is the fifth student-athlete from Missouri Southern to receive the "A Game" Scholar-Athlete honor and the first Lions softball player to earn the award. Tinkler is also the second MSSU "A Game" Scholar-Athlete during the 2025-26 academic year after
Dmitri Lloyd was selected as
Football's "A Game" Scholar-Athlete in November.
The MIAA will present Tinkler with the "A Game" Scholar-Athlete trophy prior to the start of Southern's quarterfinal on Thursday at Emporia State University's Trusler Sports Complex.
ABOUT ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS:
Athletic Solutions is an e-commerce and merchandise company created by former athletes and supporters with the mission of providing better gear and branding opportunities for schools, clubs, and student-athletes. The company specializes in print-on-demand technology, offering custom apparel and accessories for online team stores. One of their key focuses is supporting the growing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) space by helping athletes launch their own online stores and benefit from an industry-leading revenue share.
