SEWARD, Neb. – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has announced the All-GPAC softball team for the 2016 season. Headlining Concordia’s selections are designated player Michaela Woodward and infielder Autumn Owens, receiving first-team accolades. Also claiming GPAC honors were Julia Tyree and Taylor Huff who received second-team recognition and Kylie Harpst who was named to the honorable mention team.
This marks the most all-conference selection in one season for head coach Todd LaVelle and most since the 2012 season.
Owens has been named to an all-league team for the first time in her career and started 45 games at third base. The sophomore slugger tied for a team-high batting average (.392) and slugging percentage (.692) with over 100 at bats. The Henderson, Nev., native led the team in RBI (45), home runs (nine) and total bases (99) and was second in hits (56) and doubles (14). Owens also proved to be a force on the field with a 92.7 fielding percentage and a team-best 70 assists.
Woodward received her second career all-conference honor after being named to the All-GPAC First Team as a designated player. Woodward finished the season with a .380 batting average and a .606 slugging percentage. The Cortland, Neb., native was also one of the starting pitchers for Concordia this season and led the team in innings pitched (149), appearances (28) and batters stuck out (78) among numerous other pitching categories.
Tyree finished out her Concordia career with her second All-GPAC honor after being named to the second team. The Benicia, Calif., native compiled a .273 batting average in 110 at bats this year. Tyree made a shift to first base and marked a 97.6 fielding percentage. She also recorded a team-high 152 put outs while committing just four errors.
Huff received second-team honors in her first season as a Bulldog. As the team’s primary catcher, Huff ranked second on the team in total putouts (143). At the plate, Huff registered a .355 batting average and .574 slugging percentage. The Eagle, Neb., native led the team in doubles (15).
Harpst was named to the honorable mention team for the first time in her career at Concordia. As another one of Concordia’s go-to pitchers, Harpst recorded a 3.34 ERA and ended the season with a 13-11 record in 27 appearances. The Lincoln native led the squad in several pitching categories including opposing batting average (.269) and wins (13). Harpst also was impressive in the batter’s box, recording a .392 average in a team-high 158 at bats.
The Concordia softball team ended the season with a 30-18 overall mark and a 10-10 GPAC record. In the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs went 1-2, finding a victory over Midland. The two losses came from Hastings.