Ohio Dominican University announces Downs Earns G-MAC Player Of The Year; Six More Earn Accolades
From 5/3/2023 post
INDIANAPOLIS – On Wednesday afternoon, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference released the All-Conference awards with six members of the Ohio Dominican softball team being recognized for their achievements this past spring.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Marcella Vanlandingham earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in her career after leading her squad to another Regular Season Title and G-MAC Tournament. She has accumulated her fifth 30+ win season since joining the conference for the 2017-18 school year and has pushed her career record to 806-650-1 at the helm of the Panthers.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior Braxton Downs (Louisville, Ky.) has recorded a monumental career at Ohio Dominican over the past four seasons. The Kentucky native has been named G-MAC Player of the Year.
Downs ranks top-eight in the conference in a number of categories including leading in doubles with 20 and runs batted in with 51. She leads the team with a .400 batting average, good enough for seventh best in the conference. The senior has appeared and started in all 51 games this season and has snagged seven home runs and six stolen bases.
She also received All-G-MAC First Team recognition for the first time in her career.
FIRST TEAM ALL-GREAT MIDWEST
For the second time in her career, sophomore Kaleigh Golden (Thornville, Ohio) received first team all-conference honors. The outfielder is second in the conference with 66 total hits this season. In 51 games, Golden has accumulated a .375 batting average, nine doubles, and eight stolen bases.
Joining Downs and Golden on the first team list is pitcher Marlee Jacobs (Plain City, Ohio). The freshman has the fifth-best earned runs average with a 1.86 and the fifth most strikeouts with 121. Jacobs has recorded a 20-5 record in the circle with five shutouts and a save. The Ohio native has pitched 162.0 innings with 24 starts on the rubber.
SECOND TEAM ALL-GREAT MIDWEST
Junior Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) grabs all-conference accolades for the second time in her career, making the jump up to second team this spring. Stevens has the third best batting average on the team with a .358 and the second most doubles with 12. The middle infielder has stolen 14 bases, recorded 33 RBIs, and is second in the conference in runs scored with 42.
THIRD TEAM ALL-GREAT MIDWEST
Outfielder Alli Madden (Cincinnati, Ohio) tabs all-conference honors for the second time in her college career. The junior is fifth in the G-MAC with 63 hits and third with 30 stolen bases. Madden has started all 51 games in centerfield and has recorded a .354 batting average.
Senior Addison Smodilla (Terre Haute, Ind.) nets her second all-conference award in her career. The pitcher has started 22 games in the circle and collected a 10-8 record. Smodilla has a 3.57 ERA in 123.2 innings pitched. The Indiana native has notched 63 strikeouts and a shutout.
The Panthers fell in the opening round of the tournament to Tiffin University. Ohio Dominican will take the diamond at 10:00 AM tomorrow against Cedarville.