Five members of the SIU softball team received All-MVC honors at the annual awards banquet on Wednesday evening.

Sophomore infielder Maddy Vermejan heard her name called three times as she was the recipient of Defensive Player of the Year, All-MVC Defensive Team and All-MVC First Team.

This season marked the second time that Vermejan has been named to the all-defensive team and was her first all-conference selection. She finished the season with a .982 fielding percentage and ranked top-10 in the league in batting average, hits and runs.

Advertisement

Also named All-MVC First Team was junior pitcher Brianna Jones who posted a career-best 24-7 record this season en route to her third consecutive selection.

In 213.2 innings pitched, the most in the league, Jones logged 197 strikeouts, 12 complete games and a 2.13 ERA, all top-10 in the MVC.

Jones’s battery mate, sophomore catcher Katelyn Massa, also earned All-MVC First Team honors after she was selected to the second team last season.

The conference leader with 47 RBI and 11 runners caught stealing, Massa also ranked in the top-10 with 10 home runs and a .582 slugging percentage. She also earned a .307 batting average.

In her first collegiate season, freshman Jenny Jansen compiled a .335 batting average with eight homers, 27 RBI and 31 runs, marking one of the best freshman seasons in program history.

Jansen’s impressive inaugural season earned her a spot on the All-MVC Second Team.

Joining Jansen was senior Sydney Jones for the third consecutive season.

Advertisement*

This season, Jones tied her career-best total of 28 RBI. She also racked up five doubles and earned a .250 batting average.

The Salukis will play their first game of the MVC Tournament on Friday against the winner of the matchup between Northern Iowa and Illinois State. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30.

Sports editor Nathan Dodd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @NathanMDodd.

To stay up to date with all your SIU sports news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

Advertisement