BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the 2023 MIAC Softball Awards on Tuesday, including the All-Conference and honorable mention Teams, All-Playoff Team, and Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year honors.
Saint Benedict senior Gabby Spencer was named MIAC Player of the Year, while Bethel senior Kayla Simacek received MIAC Pitcher of the Year honors. Both players also won the awards in 2022 as well. Saint Benedict first-year pitcher Ellie Peterson was selected as the MIAC Rookie of the Year, and Bethel's Penny Foore was honored by her peers with MIAC Softball Coach of the Year distinction for the second season in a row.
Spencer (St. Paul, Minn. | Roseville) was named MIAC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Spencer led the conference in on-base percentage with a mark of 0.560 in 2023 and ranked among the top-five in the conference in every major batting statistic. She hit 0.464 in 22 conference games, collecting 32 hits and driving home 17 runs. Spencer belted 10 extra-base hits and crossed home plate 21 times herself on the season. She is the first two-time recipient of the MIAC Player of the Year award since Angie Jackson was selected for a second time in 2015. Spencer is also the first repeat selection for the MIAC Player of the Year award since St. Thomas’ Maria Bye was it in back-to-back seasons in 2007 and 2008.
Simacek (Hastings, Minn.) was named MIAC Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the conference in every major pitching category. Simacek won a MIAC-record 20 games in 2023, posting an earned-run average of 0.81 over 129.1 innings in the circle. She struck out 168 MIAC batters and tossed 17 complete games, with both figures representing the fourth-most in a single season in league history. Simacek is the first two-time recipient of the MIAC Pitcher of the Year award since St. Olaf ace Julie Graf won her second conference honor in 2021, and she is the first back-to-back winner of the award since St. Thomas’ Kendra Bowe won three in a row from 2012-14.
Peterson (St. Anthony Village) received MIAC Rookie of the Year honors after posting an 8-3 record in the circle for the MIAC runner-up Bennies in 2023. Peterson struck out 56 batters and held opponents to a 0.187 batting average with two shutouts in her eleven starts. Her 2.28 ERA ranked fourth-lowest among all MIAC pitchers this season. Peterson is the third Bennie in the last four seasons to be named MIAC Rookie of the Year, joining Ally Hjort (2018) and teammate Bryn Carlstrom (2021).
Foore (8th season) collected her second straight MIAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Royals to an undefeated regular season and back-to-back regular season conference championships. She is now the sixth MIAC softball coach to win at least two consecutive Coach of the Year honors since 1995 and is the first since current Saint Mary’s head coach John Tschida won two in a row while at St. Thomas in 2018 and 2019.
In addition to individual awards, MIAC coaches also selected 36 players All-Conference with 14 more receiving honorable mention distinction. All awards were nominated by and voted on by the 12 MIAC head softball coaches and only statistics from regular season MIAC contests were considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.
Seventeen of the 36 All-Conference selections in 2023 are repeat honorees, including Bethel outfielder Allie Fauth-Kilgore, who became the first player in conference history to earn five All-Conference honors in softball (2018-19-21-22-23). St. Olaf outfielder Tara DeCroock became the 25th four-time honoree in conference history, while Bethel outfielder Lexi DeBace and pitcher Kayla Simacek, Gustavus outfielder Madi Mueller, Saint Benedict outfielder Gabby Spencer and pitcher Elly Novak, and St. Catherine outfielder Taylor Brunn all earned their third All-MIAC nod – a feat achieved by 85 players in MIAC softball history.
The MIAC also announced the All-Playoff Team for softball, which recognized the top 13 performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.
2023 MIAC Softball Awards
| 2023 MIAC Softball Player of the Year |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
Previous Selections |
| OF |
Gabby Spencer |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
St. Paul, Minn. | Roseville |
2022 |
| 2023 MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Year |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
Previous Selections |
| P |
Kayla Simacek |
Bethel |
Sr. |
Hastings, Minn. |
2022 |
| 2023 MIAC Softball Rookie of the Year |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
| P |
Ellie Peterson |
Saint Benedict |
Fy. |
St. Anthony Village, Minn. |
| 2023 MIAC Softball Coach of the Year |
| Name |
Institution |
Previous Selections |
| Penny Foore |
Bethel |
2022 |
| 2023 MIAC Softball All-Conference Team |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
Previous Selections |
| C |
Laurie Avila |
Carleton |
Sr. |
Sugar Grove, Ill. | Oswego |
-- |
| C |
Julia Azure |
St. Catherine |
Sr. |
Lino Lakes, Minn. | Centennial |
2021 (HM) | 2022 |
| C |
Peyton Berg |
Saint Mary’s |
Fy. |
Chatfield, Minn. |
-- |
| C |
Gabby Cook |
Hamline |
Sr. |
Longmont, Colo. | Fairview |
2022 |
| C |
Medora Rylee |
St. Olaf |
So. |
Chaska, Minn. |
-- |
| 1B |
Amelia Christenson |
St. Olaf |
So. |
Maple Grove, Minn. | Wayzata |
-- |
| 2B |
Cassie Cunniff |
Carleton |
Sr. |
Mt. Prospect, Ill. | Prospect |
-- |
| 2B |
Tori Harren |
Saint Benedict |
Jr. |
Kimball, Minn. |
-- |
| 2B |
Izzy Wilhelm |
Bethel |
Sr. |
Little Canada, Minn. | Roseville Area |
-- |
| 3B |
Anne Fossum |
St. Olaf |
Jr. |
Northfield, Minn. |
-- |
| 3B |
Ali French |
Saint Mary’s |
Fy. |
Winona, Minn. | Cotter |
-- |
| SS |
Emily Bergin |
Macalester |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas | St. Thomas Episcopal School |
-- |
| SS |
Autumn Earney |
Bethel |
So. |
Ellsworth, Wis. |
2022 |
| SS |
Kallie Finkbeiner |
Saint Benedict |
Fy. |
Monticello, Minn. |
-- |
| SS |
Helen McKinnon |
St. Catherine |
Fy. |
Farmington, Minn. | Rosemount |
-- |
| SS |
Maya Patty |
St. Olaf |
Sr. |
St. Paul, Minn. | Mounds View |
2022 |
| SS |
Jenna Rubbelke |
Hamline |
So. |
North St. Paul, Minn. |
2022 |
| OF |
Taylor Brunn |
St. Catherine |
Sr. |
Little Canada, Minn. | Concordia Academy |
2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Lexi DeBace |
Bethel |
Gr. |
Little Canada, Minn. | Roseville |
2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Tarah DeCroock |
St. Olaf |
Sr. |
Farmington, Minn. |
2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Allie Fauth-Kilgore |
Bethel |
Gr. |
Hutchinson, Minn. |
2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Sophie Futchko |
Macalester |
So. |
Prince Frederick, Md. | Huntingtown |
2022 |
| OF |
Riley Hall |
Saint Mary's |
Jr. |
Dallas Center, Iowa |
2022 |
| OF |
Kayla Herda |
Gustavus |
So. |
Farmington, Minn. |
-- |
| OF |
Madelyn Mueller |
Gustavus |
Jr. |
North Mankato, Minn. | Mankato West |
2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Renee Nicholson |
Macalester |
So. |
Downers Grove, Ill. | South |
-- |
| OF |
Gabby Spencer |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
St. Paul, Minn. | Roseville |
2021 | 2022 |
| OF |
Jordyn Swoboda |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
Willmar, Minn. |
2021 | 2022 (HM) |
| OF |
Molly Wilde |
Concordia |
Sr. |
St. Michael, Minn. | St. Michael-Albertville |
-- |
| DP |
Sidney Bartels |
Bethel |
Fy. |
Ellsworth, Wis. |
-- |
| DP |
Heather Nordlund |
Saint Mary’s |
So. |
Byron, Minn. |
-- |
| P |
Maizie Anderson |
Gustavus |
Fy. |
Rosemount, Minn. |
-- |
| P |
Elly Novak |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
Montgomery, Minn. | Tri-City United |
2021 | 2022 |
| P |
Piper Otto |
Gustavus |
Sr. |
Brooklyn Park, Minn. | Champlin Park |
2021 (HM) | 2022 |
| P |
Ellie Peterson |
Saint Benedict |
Fy. |
St. Anthony Village, Minn. |
-- |
| P |
Kayla Simacek |
Bethel |
Sr. |
Hastings, Minn. |
2021 | 2022 |
| 2023 MIAC Softball Honorable Mention |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
Previous Selections |
| C |
Bryn Carlstrom |
Saint Benedict |
Jr. |
Rochester, Minn. | Mayo |
2021 (AC) | 2022 (AC) |
| C |
Samantha Paniagua |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
Corona, Calif. | Centennial |
-- |
| 1B |
Cat Smetana |
Saint Benedict |
Fy. |
Lake Elmo, Minn. | Stillwater |
-- |
| 2B |
Josephine Cariveau |
Hamline |
Fy. |
Phoenix, Ariz. | Arcadia |
-- |
| 2B |
Caitlin Olafsson |
Gustavus |
Fy. |
Woodbury, Minn. | East Ridge |
-- |
| 2B |
Sarah Posey |
St. Catherine |
So. |
Sierra Vista, Ariz. | Veritas |
-- |
| 3B |
Kayla Hokanson |
Bethel |
Sr. |
Shakopee, Minn. |
2022 (AC) |
| SS |
Torrie Rehder |
Augsburg |
So. |
Goodhue, Minn. |
-- |
| SS |
Bryanna Schaffer |
Carleton |
So. |
San Diego, Calif. | Mar Vista |
-- |
| OF |
Hannah Peschel |
St. Olaf |
Jr. |
Shoreview, Minn. | Mounds View |
2022 |
| P |
Riley Leonhardt |
St. Catherine |
Fy. |
Dayton, Minn. | Champlin Park |
-- |
| P |
Ashley Matejka |
St. Scholastica |
Jr. |
Oak Forest, Ill. | Carl Sandburg |
-- |
| P |
Libby Moore |
Augsburg |
So. |
Springville, Iowa |
-- |
| P |
Jenna Peschel |
St. Olaf |
Jr. |
Shoreview, Minn. | Mounds View |
-- |
| 2023 MIAC Softball All-Playoff Team |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown | High School |
Previous Selections |
| 1B |
Mikaela Girard |
Bethel |
So. |
Northfield, Minn. |
2022 |
| 2B |
Andy Conway |
St. Olaf |
Sr. |
Dundee, Ill. | Dundee-Crown |
-- |
| 3B |
Ali French |
Saint Mary’s |
Fy. |
Winona, Minn. | Cotter |
-- |
| OF |
Lexi DeBace |
Bethel |
Gr. |
Little Canada, Minn. | Roseville |
-- |
| OF |
Allie Fauth-Kilgore |
Bethel |
Gr. |
Hutchinson, Minn. |
-- |
| OF |
Kayla Herda |
Gustavus |
So. |
Farmington, Minn. |
-- |
| OF |
Gabby Spencer |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
St. Paul, Minn. | Roseville |
2022 |
| OF |
Jasmine Ziegler |
St. Catherine |
Sr. |
Prior Lake, Minn. |
-- |
| DP |
Katie Weisheit |
St. Olaf |
Jr. |
Wheaton, Ill. | Wheaton Warrenville South |
2021 |
| P |
Elly Novak |
Saint Benedict |
Sr. |
Montgomery, Minn. | Tri-City United |
2021 |
| P |
Piper Otto |
Gustavus |
Jr. |
Brooklyn Park, Minn. | Champlin Park |
-- |
| P |
Ellie Peterson |
Saint Benedict |
Fy. |
St. Anthony Village, Minn. |
-- |
| P |
Kayla Simacek |
Bethel |
Sr. |
Hastings, Minn. |
2022 |