In the same balloting, Emily Spicer of Millsaps College was voted the league’s Newcomer-of-the-Year. Roland Rodriguez of Millsaps and Angela Froboese of Southwestern University were selected as SCAC Co-Coaches-of-the-Year.

  

McKinley, a senior third baseman from Frisco, Texas, is a three time All-SCAC first team performer and a two-time All-SCAC Tournament performer. McKinley finished the season with a .398 batting average (ninth in the SCAC) and also led the league in both slugging percentage (.781) and on-base percentage (.497). Statistically, McKinley dominated the conference leading the SCAC in runs scored (43), homeruns (13), on-base percentage (.497) and total bases (100). While manning the hot corner for the Majors, McKinley posted a .845 fielding percentage. McKinley closed out her stellar career finishing in the top five all-time in SCAC history in several statistical categories. Her 127 RBIs (third), 121 runs scored (fifth) and 186 hits (fourth) all rank in the top five career statistically, and she ends her career as the league’s all-time leader in doubles (44) and tied for the all-time mark in homeruns with 28. All of those career marks represent school records. A three-time SCAC All-Academic performer, McKinley was recently named to her third straight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Softball team.

In terms of sheer statistical dominance, DePauw’s Soultz produced yet again one of the most prolific seasons in league history. A senior right-hander from Carmel, Ind., Soultz led the conference in innings pitched (183.0), games started (31), strikeouts looking (69), complete games (20) and wins (23). Soultz also posted an ERA of 1.38 (second in the SCAC) and held opponents to a .207 batting average (third in the SCAC). Through just her first three seasons in the league, Soultz had already set the SCAC career wins mark and strikeouts and was poised to re-write the NCAA Division III records book. Adding this season’s marks, Soultz has posted astronomical numbers that place her atop the career NCAA Division III record books. Her 107 wins (fifth), 836 innings pitched (tied for fifth), 108 complete games (tied for fourth), 138 games started (second) and 141 appearances (fifth) all currently rank in the top five in NCAA history and are tops in SCAC history. This year, Soultz added 168 strikeouts to bring her SCAC career mark to 750. A third team all-America selection in 2007, Soultz was also named to the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-America First Team – one of just two pitchers to earn the honor. A three-time SCAC All-Academic performer, Soultz was recently named to her third straight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Softball team.

Millsaps’ Emily Spicer was named the inaugural winner of the SCAC Softball Newcomer-of-the-Year award. A first-year outfielder from Mansfield, Texas, Spicer hit .401 in her first season in Jackson (sixth in the SCAC) with a league-high 59 hits – the sixth-most in a SCAC single season. In addition, she is currently in the top five in the league in runs (41 – third), doubles (12 – fourth) and total bases (87 – fourth). Spicer was also named to the 2010 SCAC All-Tournament team.

Led by head coach Roland Rodriguez, Millsaps College tied for the second-most wins (24) in a single season in program history. Rodriguez guided the Majors to a 12-4 record in conference play and a first place finish in the Western Division. This marks the second Coach-of-the-Year award Rodriguez has won at Millsaps and the sixth (four previous at Trinity) in his career – the most by any coach in SCAC softball history. The Majors posted an overall record of 24-18 in 2010 and advanced to the SCAC Softball championship game before falling to Southwestern.

Southwestern University, in just its second season of sponsoring the sport, was led by head coach Angela Froboese, who guided the Pirates to their first SCAC softball championship in school history. This is the second straight year that Froboese has been tabbed Coach-of-the-Year, and she becomes just the third coach in SCAC history to achieve that accomplishment – joining Rodriguez (01-02, 05-06) and Lana Rutledge (99-00). The Pirates are currently 31-11 as they prepare for the NCAA tournament as the league’s automatic qualifier.