Five Salukis make All-MVC teams, Vermejan Defensive Player of the Year
05/09/2018 | 8:37:00 | Softball
Missouri Valley Conference Release and Full Teams
Des Moines, Iowa --- Five Salukis were honored at this evening's Missouri Valley Conference softball postseason awards banquet with sophomore Maddy Vermejan leading the way with three awards of her own.
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Vermejan was named the MVC's Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first-team and all-defensive team selection. Joining Vermejan on the MVC first team are sophomore catcher Katelyn Massa and junior pitcher Brianna Jones. Senior Sydney Jones and freshman Jenny Jansen were both named to the second-team.
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Vermejan's selection as the Valley's best defender makes her the first Saluki to earn the honor – the award was first given in 2015. She finished the season with a .982 fielding percentage and committed only three errors on 170 chances and was a part of three double plays at second base. This is the second time shes been named to the All-Defensive Team. She was stellar in the field but great at the plate too. Vermejan leads the league in on-base percentage at .486 and hit by pitches with 21. She is top-10 in the league offensively in: batting average (.359), slugging percentage (.552), runs scored (38), hits (52), bases (80), sac bunts (8) and plate appearances (191). Vermejan was an All-MVC Second Team selection in 2017.
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Massa made the first team thanks in part to putting together one of the best offensive campaigns in Saluki history. She's hitting .307 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 47 RBIs, the third-most in single-season history at SIU. Massa leads the MVC in RBIs and runners caught stealing with 11. She is top-10 in the league in: slugging percentage (.582), home runs, total bases (89), walks (27), plate appearances (187). Massa was an All-MVC Second Team selection in 2017.
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Brianna Jones has been one of the most successful pitchers in the Valley since coming to Southern in 2015 and 2018 has been no different. Jones has a 2.13 ERA this season and a 24-7 record, the best of her career. She leads the league in wins, appearances and innings pitched and is top-10 in ERA (2.13), strike outs (197), batters struck out looking (75), saves (2), starts (28), complete games (12). Jones has made the All-MVC First Team every year that she's been at SIU.
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Sydney Jones made the All-MVC second-team for the third-straight season. Jones is hitting .250 this season with five doubles, five home runs and 28 RBIs. She's third in the MVC with four sac flies. Her 28 RBIs this season ties a career-high. Jones hit her first career grand slam earlier this season in a game against Bradley and had a walk-off single in a 2-1 win against SEMO on April 5.
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Freshman Jenny Jansen put together one of the best freshman seasons in program history by hitting .335 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBIs. She's top-10 in the league in slugging percentage (.549), runs scored (31), hits (55), home runs, total bases (90), plate appearances (185) and at-bats (164). Jansen had a walk-off two-run home run against UNI on May 5.
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The Salukis and their five All-Conference selections kickoff the MVC Tournament on Friday when they face off with the winner of Thursday's matchup between Illinois State and Northern Iowa.
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Des Moines, Iowa --- Five Salukis were honored at this evening's Missouri Valley Conference softball postseason awards banquet with sophomore Maddy Vermejan leading the way with three awards of her own.
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Vermejan was named the MVC's Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first-team and all-defensive team selection. Joining Vermejan on the MVC first team are sophomore catcher Katelyn Massa and junior pitcher Brianna Jones. Senior Sydney Jones and freshman Jenny Jansen were both named to the second-team.
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Vermejan's selection as the Valley's best defender makes her the first Saluki to earn the honor – the award was first given in 2015. She finished the season with a .982 fielding percentage and committed only three errors on 170 chances and was a part of three double plays at second base. This is the second time shes been named to the All-Defensive Team. She was stellar in the field but great at the plate too. Vermejan leads the league in on-base percentage at .486 and hit by pitches with 21. She is top-10 in the league offensively in: batting average (.359), slugging percentage (.552), runs scored (38), hits (52), bases (80), sac bunts (8) and plate appearances (191). Vermejan was an All-MVC Second Team selection in 2017.
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Massa made the first team thanks in part to putting together one of the best offensive campaigns in Saluki history. She's hitting .307 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 47 RBIs, the third-most in single-season history at SIU. Massa leads the MVC in RBIs and runners caught stealing with 11. She is top-10 in the league in: slugging percentage (.582), home runs, total bases (89), walks (27), plate appearances (187). Massa was an All-MVC Second Team selection in 2017.
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Brianna Jones has been one of the most successful pitchers in the Valley since coming to Southern in 2015 and 2018 has been no different. Jones has a 2.13 ERA this season and a 24-7 record, the best of her career. She leads the league in wins, appearances and innings pitched and is top-10 in ERA (2.13), strike outs (197), batters struck out looking (75), saves (2), starts (28), complete games (12). Jones has made the All-MVC First Team every year that she's been at SIU.
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Sydney Jones made the All-MVC second-team for the third-straight season. Jones is hitting .250 this season with five doubles, five home runs and 28 RBIs. She's third in the MVC with four sac flies. Her 28 RBIs this season ties a career-high. Jones hit her first career grand slam earlier this season in a game against Bradley and had a walk-off single in a 2-1 win against SEMO on April 5.
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Freshman Jenny Jansen put together one of the best freshman seasons in program history by hitting .335 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBIs. She's top-10 in the league in slugging percentage (.549), runs scored (31), hits (55), home runs, total bases (90), plate appearances (185) and at-bats (164). Jansen had a walk-off two-run home run against UNI on May 5.
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The Salukis and their five All-Conference selections kickoff the MVC Tournament on Friday when they face off with the winner of Thursday's matchup between Illinois State and Northern Iowa.
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Players Mentioned
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