FIVE SKYHAWKS GARNER POSTSEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SOFTBALL HONORS
5/12/2021 10:00:00 AM | Softball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Five University of Tennessee at Martin softball players were recognized for their impressive campaigns by garnering postseason recognitions from the Ohio Valley Conference. The sophomore pair of Alexis Groet and Kaitlyn Kelley earned All-OVC first team honors while Kaci Fuller and Paige Clark garnered All-OVC second team accolades. Groet, Kelley and Fuller also joined Shyanne Sheffield on the 12-player All-Newcomer squad.
The Skyhawks four All-OVC selections tied for the most all-conference selections this season as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors and the most in four years for the team. The duo of Groet and Kelley become the first Skyhawk pair to receive first team honors in the same season since 2017 and just the eighth time in program history.
Groet was named OVC Player of the Week twice (3/15 and 4/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in eight categories including earned run average (first), wins (third), strikeouts (fourth), strikeouts looking (sixth), opponent batting average (seventh), wins (seventh), games started (seventh) and innings pitched (eighth). Her miniscule 1.36 ERA ranked as the second-lowest single-season ERA in program history, just missing Paij Lintz's 2007 mark of 1.35. Overall, she recorded 15 scoreless appearances on the year while posting shutouts against Eastern Kentucky (3/27), Eastern Illinois (4/12) and Austin Peay (4/30) in addition to combined shutouts against Arkansas Pine Bluff (3/9), SIUE (4/2) and Morehead State (4/18). She struck out five or more batters in 13 contests while recording a season-high 10 punchouts against Belmont (4/25).
Kelley was named OVC Player of the Week once (3/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in six categories including RBIs (first), total bases (first), home runs (second), slugging percentage (third), hits (fifth) and doubles (ninth). She not only set the single-season home run record but posted the third-most RBIs in program history in just 46 games. She also tallied 13 multi-RBI games, including five games with at least four RBIs. The slugger hit home runs in a school-record four straight games from Feb. 25 through March 5 while also posting a stretch of 18 straight games in which she reached base from March 6 through Apr. 3. Along with hitting a trio of grand slams on the year against Arkansas Pine Bluff (3/9), Jackson State (3/16) and Tennessee State (3/21), arguably her best game came against Belmont when she went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs.
The Huntingdon, Tenn. product was named OVC Player of the Week once (2/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in seven categories including triples (second), hits (third), runs scored (third), stolen bases (third), total bases (sixth), doubles (ninth) and batting average (10th). She tallied 13 multi-hit outings, including seven with at least three hits. She led the team with a 17-game hitting streak which stretched from Feb. 27 through March 27. The speedster tied a pair of single-game program records by tallying four hits against Alabama A&M (2/20) while also swiping four stolen bases against Eastern Illinois (4/12).
Clark ranked in the OVC top-10 in four categories including hits (second), batting average (sixth), doubles (ninth) and stolen bases (ninth). She led the team with 21 multi-hit games and posted an eight-game hitting streak from March 13 through March 26. The speedster registered multiple steals on five occasions against Chattanooga (2/24), Murray State (3/5), Tennessee State (3/21), Eastern Kentucky (4/26) and Morehead State (4/18). For her career, she ranks second in program history with a .348 batting average, sixth with 70 steals and seventh with five triples.
Sheffield ranked in the OVC top-10 in five categories including batting average (.378), triples (fifth), on-base percentage (sixth), hits (eighth) and sacrifice bunts (five). She tallied 15 multi-hit contests, including three with at least three hits or more against Murray State (3/5), Jacksonville State (3/12) and Evansville (3/30). She also posted a 12-game hitting – in addition to a six-game streak to end the season – which began on Feb. 27 and stretched through March 30. Through early March she strung together six consecutive games in which she stole a base while only being caught once on the season. She posted two of her three home runs of the season in back-to-back games against Austin Peay (5/1) and Southeast Missouri (5/5).
2021 OVC Player of the Year: Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
2021 OVC Pitcher of the Year: Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri
2021 OVC Freshman of the Year: Jordan Benefield, Austin Peay
2021 OVC Coach of the Year: Mark Redburn, Southeast Missouri
2021 Softball All-OVC Teams
First Team
P – Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri
P – Alexis Groet, UT Martin
P – Tori Peterson, Eastern Kentucky
C – Zoe Mihalicz, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
IF – Ashley Ellis, Southeast Missouri
IF – Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
IF – Kaitlyn Kelley, UT Martin
OF – Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
OF – Jada Terry, Jacksonville State
OF – Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
UTIL/DP – Haley Mitchell, Eastern Illinois
Second Team
P – Nicole Rodriguez, Jacksonville State
P – Jordan Benefield, Austin Peay
C – Nicolle Nysted, Tennessee Tech
IF – Carly Robinson, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Sierra Gilmore, Murray State
IF – Zoe Schafer, SIUE
IF – Alana Cobb-Adams, SIUE
IF – Kaci Fuller, UT Martin
OF – Cheyenne Cavanaugh, Belmont
OF – Ava Bieneman, SIUE
OF – Paige Clark, UT Martin
UTIL/DP – Kelsey Gross, Austin Peay
All-Newcomer Team
Alexis Groet, P, UT Martin
Jordan Benefield, P, Austin Peay
Kaitlyn Kelley, IF, UT Martin
Jillian Anderson, OF, Southeast Missouri
Kaci Fuller, IF, UT Martin
Ava Bieneman, OF, SIUE
Shyanne Sheffield, OF, UT Martin
Katie Dreiling, DP, Southeast Missouri
Jenna Veber, P, Murray State
Nicolle Nysted, C, Tennessee Tech
Morgan Lewis, OF, Eastern Illinois
Sydney Baalman, P, SIUE
The Skyhawks four All-OVC selections tied for the most all-conference selections this season as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors and the most in four years for the team. The duo of Groet and Kelley become the first Skyhawk pair to receive first team honors in the same season since 2017 and just the eighth time in program history.
A native of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Groet made a big impact in her debut season for the Skyhawks in the circle. She posted a 13-6 overall record with a 1.36 ERA in 123.1 innings of work on the season while notching three shutouts. She appeared in 30 contests while earning 20 starts and tossing five complete games. The power pitcher tallied 118 strikeouts while issuing 41 walks and held opponents to a .202 batting average.Congratulations to @UTM_Softball pitcher Alexis Groet on being named to the All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer team in her debut season for the Skyhawks!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) May 12, 2021
🥎1st in OVC in ERA (1.36)
🥎3rd in OVC in Wins (13)
🥎4th in OVC in Strikeouts (118) pic.twitter.com/XXVjXgP8mr
Groet was named OVC Player of the Week twice (3/15 and 4/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in eight categories including earned run average (first), wins (third), strikeouts (fourth), strikeouts looking (sixth), opponent batting average (seventh), wins (seventh), games started (seventh) and innings pitched (eighth). Her miniscule 1.36 ERA ranked as the second-lowest single-season ERA in program history, just missing Paij Lintz's 2007 mark of 1.35. Overall, she recorded 15 scoreless appearances on the year while posting shutouts against Eastern Kentucky (3/27), Eastern Illinois (4/12) and Austin Peay (4/30) in addition to combined shutouts against Arkansas Pine Bluff (3/9), SIUE (4/2) and Morehead State (4/18). She struck out five or more batters in 13 contests while recording a season-high 10 punchouts against Belmont (4/25).
Hailing from Lexington, Tenn., Kelley posted a huge season in her first full year in a Skyhawk uniform by breaking the program's single-season home run record while leading the league in RBIs and total bases. She posted a .338 batting average with 26 runs, 51 hits, 10 doubles, 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. She notched a .742 slugging percentage while recording an OPS of 1.115.ongratulations to @UTM_Softball infielder Kaitlyn Kelley on being named to the All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer team after a record-setting year!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) May 12, 2021
🥎1st in OVC in RBIs (48)
🥎2nd in OVC in home runs (17) *UTM record
🥎3rd in OVC in slugging percentage (.742) pic.twitter.com/8lMnxltYpe
Kelley was named OVC Player of the Week once (3/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in six categories including RBIs (first), total bases (first), home runs (second), slugging percentage (third), hits (fifth) and doubles (ninth). She not only set the single-season home run record but posted the third-most RBIs in program history in just 46 games. She also tallied 13 multi-RBI games, including five games with at least four RBIs. The slugger hit home runs in a school-record four straight games from Feb. 25 through March 5 while also posting a stretch of 18 straight games in which she reached base from March 6 through Apr. 3. Along with hitting a trio of grand slams on the year against Arkansas Pine Bluff (3/9), Jackson State (3/16) and Tennessee State (3/21), arguably her best game came against Belmont when she went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs.
Fuller was the lone true freshman on the Skyhawks to earn All-OVC honors after playing in all 46 games this season. The versatile fielders who saw action at designated player, shortstop, second and third posted a .350 batting average with 37 runs, 55 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 24 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. She notched a .541 slugging percentage while recording an OPS of .864.Congratulations to @UTM_Softball infielder Kaci Fuller on being named to the All-OVC second team and All-Newcomer team as a true freshman!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) May 12, 2021
🥎3rd in OVC in hits (55)
🥎3rd in OVC in runs scored (37)
🥎3rd in OVC in steals (21) pic.twitter.com/E8WHirZSIC
The Huntingdon, Tenn. product was named OVC Player of the Week once (2/22) while ranking in the OVC top-10 in seven categories including triples (second), hits (third), runs scored (third), stolen bases (third), total bases (sixth), doubles (ninth) and batting average (10th). She tallied 13 multi-hit outings, including seven with at least three hits. She led the team with a 17-game hitting streak which stretched from Feb. 27 through March 27. The speedster tied a pair of single-game program records by tallying four hits against Alabama A&M (2/20) while also swiping four stolen bases against Eastern Illinois (4/12).
A native of Lafayette, Tenn., Clark claimed her second All-OVC honor of her career after starting all 46 games in left field. She posted a .372 batting average with 25 runs, 58 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 17 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. She struck out just five times while notching a .478 slugging percentage and an OPS of .875.Congratulations to @UTM_Softball outfielder Paige Clark on being named to the All-OVC second team for the second time in her career!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) May 12, 2021
🥎2nd in OVC in hits (58)
🥎6th in OVC in AVG (.372)
🥎9th in OVC in steals (16) pic.twitter.com/Me0gJsKMH8
Clark ranked in the OVC top-10 in four categories including hits (second), batting average (sixth), doubles (ninth) and stolen bases (ninth). She led the team with 21 multi-hit games and posted an eight-game hitting streak from March 13 through March 26. The speedster registered multiple steals on five occasions against Chattanooga (2/24), Murray State (3/5), Tennessee State (3/21), Eastern Kentucky (4/26) and Morehead State (4/18). For her career, she ranks second in program history with a .348 batting average, sixth with 70 steals and seventh with five triples.
Hailing from Tullahoma, Tenn., Sheffield was named to the All-Newcomer squad after an impressive season by the team's centerfielder. After playing in 42 games, she posted a .381 batting average, 24 runs, five doubles, two triples, three home runs, 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. She notched a .527 slugging percentage while recording a .979 OPS.Congratulations to @UTM_Softball outfielder Shyanne Sheffield on being named to the OVC All-Newcomer team!
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) May 12, 2021
🥎4th in OVC in AVG (.378)
🥎5th in OVC in triples (3)
🥎6th in OVC in OB% (.432) pic.twitter.com/8ES5KfgMJI
Sheffield ranked in the OVC top-10 in five categories including batting average (.378), triples (fifth), on-base percentage (sixth), hits (eighth) and sacrifice bunts (five). She tallied 15 multi-hit contests, including three with at least three hits or more against Murray State (3/5), Jacksonville State (3/12) and Evansville (3/30). She also posted a 12-game hitting – in addition to a six-game streak to end the season – which began on Feb. 27 and stretched through March 30. Through early March she strung together six consecutive games in which she stole a base while only being caught once on the season. She posted two of her three home runs of the season in back-to-back games against Austin Peay (5/1) and Southeast Missouri (5/5).
2021 OVC Player of the Year: Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
2021 OVC Pitcher of the Year: Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri
2021 OVC Freshman of the Year: Jordan Benefield, Austin Peay
2021 OVC Coach of the Year: Mark Redburn, Southeast Missouri
2021 Softball All-OVC Teams
First Team
P – Rachel Rook, Southeast Missouri
P – Alexis Groet, UT Martin
P – Tori Peterson, Eastern Kentucky
C – Zoe Mihalicz, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
IF – Ashley Ellis, Southeast Missouri
IF – Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
IF – Kaitlyn Kelley, UT Martin
OF – Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
OF – Jada Terry, Jacksonville State
OF – Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
UTIL/DP – Haley Mitchell, Eastern Illinois
Second Team
P – Nicole Rodriguez, Jacksonville State
P – Jordan Benefield, Austin Peay
C – Nicolle Nysted, Tennessee Tech
IF – Carly Robinson, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Sierra Gilmore, Murray State
IF – Zoe Schafer, SIUE
IF – Alana Cobb-Adams, SIUE
IF – Kaci Fuller, UT Martin
OF – Cheyenne Cavanaugh, Belmont
OF – Ava Bieneman, SIUE
OF – Paige Clark, UT Martin
UTIL/DP – Kelsey Gross, Austin Peay
All-Newcomer Team
Alexis Groet, P, UT Martin
Jordan Benefield, P, Austin Peay
Kaitlyn Kelley, IF, UT Martin
Jillian Anderson, OF, Southeast Missouri
Kaci Fuller, IF, UT Martin
Ava Bieneman, OF, SIUE
Shyanne Sheffield, OF, UT Martin
Katie Dreiling, DP, Southeast Missouri
Jenna Veber, P, Murray State
Nicolle Nysted, C, Tennessee Tech
Morgan Lewis, OF, Eastern Illinois
Sydney Baalman, P, SIUE
Players Mentioned
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