MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its all-conference teams and major award winners for the 2024 softball season.
Concordia University Wisconsin junior shortstop
Jess Pozezinski was named NACC Position Player of the Year and Dominican University senior
Kayla Faber-Cournane was named NACC Pitcher of the Year, while Lakeland University outfielder
Maddie Raske as named NACC Freshman of the Year. The coaching staff at Dominican, led by
Cristina Lukas, was recognized its peers as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year.
NACC Position Player of the Year --- Jess Pozezinski, jr., SS, Concordia University Wisconsin
Pozezinski, a junior shortstop, played in all 37 games for Concordia Wisconsin this season, posting a .480 batting average with 61 hits, 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 45 runs scored in 127 at-bats. She added 15 walks and a stolen base to post a .531 on-base percentage and a .929 slugging percentage.
Through the regular season and NACC Tournament, Pozezinski ranked third nationally in both home runs and total bases (118) and fifth in slugging percentage. She led all NACC players in those three categories, while ranking second in batting average and RBIs, third in on-base percentage, and fourth in hits.
Pozezinski recorded a hit in 33 of 37 games played with 17 multiple-hit games, including seven games of three hits or more. She had a NACC season-high five hits in a 13-6 win over UW-La Crosse on Feb. 24. Pozezinski also had 11 multiple-RBI games, including a five-RBI game against Concordia Chicago on May 3 where she hit a pair of home runs. She also had two home runs in the season opener against Lawrence on Feb. 23.
In 24 NACC games, she hit .487 with 39 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBIs in 80 at-bats while also reaching base at a .543 clip and slugging .900.
Pozezinski is the first Concordia Wisconsin student-athlete to be named NACC Softball Position Player of the Year.
NACC Pitcher of the Year --- Kayla Faber-Cournane, sr., Dominican University
Entering the NCAA Tournament, Faber-Cournane has made 31 appearances in the circle for Dominican with 23 starts, posting a 22-5 record with a 1.34 earned-run average, 56 strikeouts, 11 complete games, and three saves. She has limited opposing hitters to a .210 batting average.
She currently leads all NACC pitchers in appearances, games started, ERA, wins, saves, shutouts, hits allowed per nine innings (5.39), and WHIP (0.86), and ranks second in strikeout-to-walk radio (4.00) and walks allowed per seven innings (0.64).
Faber-Cournane is the second Dominican student-athlete to be named NACC Pitcher of the Year, joining Emily Mahoney in 2013.
NACC Freshman of the Year --- Maddie Raske, OF, Lakeland University
Raske, an outfielder, started all 45 games for Lakeland this season, posting a team-leading .436 batting average with 61 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, one home run, 40 RBIs, and 21 runs scored in 140 at-bats. She also drew seven walks, was hit by a pitch one, and stole five bases to post a .457 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage.
Raske ranked fourth in the NACC in hits and RBIs, seventh in batting average, and was one of the nation's toughest to strikeout with just two strikeouts in 140 at-bats. She fininshed the year with 21 mutltiple-hit games, including six games with three hits, and 12 multiple-RBI games. Twice she drove in three or more runs in a game -- three against North Park on March 11, and five against Mount Mary on April 26.
Raske is the second Lakeland student-athlete to be named the NACC's top newcomer.
Sara Roberts was named Rookie of the Year in the Northern Athletics Conference's 2007 inaugural season.
NACC Coaching Staff of the Year --- Dominican University (Cristina Lukas, head coach)
Lukas, in her 18th season, has led the Stars to a school-record 38 wins and the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. Dominican posted a 20-4 mark in league play, winning the Stars' first NACC title in softball, and held off Lakeland to win last weekend's NACC Tournament.
The Stars have been led by a stellar pitching staff headed by Faber-Cournane and Emma Woodhouse. Dominican led all NACC programs in ERA (1.64), shutouts (13), hits allowed per game (5.93), and WHIP (1.01).
Offensively, Dominican ranked just fifth in batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.388), and sixth in slugging percentage (.439), but were still effective in generating runs, ranking fourth nationally in triples (26) and sacrifice bunts (58) with league-leading totals. The Stars also stole nearly two bases per game (1.98) and ranked second among NACC schools with a 2.55 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Lukas is assisted by
Allison Mulligan,
Robert Bastek,
Tiffany Opfer.
This is the second time Lukas has been recognized by the league's coaches. She was named NACC Softball Coach of the Year in 2009.
All-Conference Teams Announced
Aurora, Dominican, and Lakeland each had four individuals named all-NACC, with the Spartans and conference champion Stars landing three apiece on the first team. Lakeland's four selections were split between the 15-member first team and the 10-member second team. Benedictine and Concordia Wisconsin both had three all-league picks, with all three of the Falcons' selections being named to the first team. Benedictine had two first-team picks and a second-teamer. Edgewood and Wisconsin Lutheran both scored a first-teamer as their lone all-NACC pick, while Marian and MSOE had two second-team picks each and Concordia Chicago had one.
| 2024 All-NACC Softball Team |
| Position Player of the Year - Jess Pozezinski, Concordia Wisconsin |
| Pitcher of the Year - Kayla Faber-Cournane, Dominican |
| Freshman of the Year - Maddie Raske, Lakeland |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Dominican (Cristina Lukas, head coach) |
|
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Faith Biggs |
Aurora |
Sr. |
INF |
Union Mills, Ind. |
| Rylee Campbell |
Aurora |
Jr. |
P |
Rio Rancho, N.M. |
| Tyler Chambers |
Aurora |
Sr. |
C/INF |
Cedar Lake, Ind. |
| Haley Barnes |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
INF |
Buffalo Grove, Ill. |
| Morgan Bruno |
Benedictine |
So. |
INF |
Romeoville, Ill. |
| Megan Bloyer |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Jr. |
1B/C |
Oregon, Wis. |
| Sydney Erdmann |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
OF |
Geneva, Ill. |
| Jess Pozezinski |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Jr. |
SS |
Lake Villa, Ill. |
| Kayla Faber-Cournane |
Dominican |
Sr. |
P |
Bensonville, Ill. |
| Donatela Sommesi |
Dominican |
Jr. |
2B |
Melrose Park, Ill. |
| Emma Woodhouse |
Dominican |
Jr. |
P/OF |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Olivia Hebert |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
C |
Middleton, Wis. |
| Hannah Nelson |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
P/UT |
Loves Park, Ill. |
| Maddie Raske |
Lakeland |
Fr. |
OF |
Tinley Park, Ill. |
| Lexi Martin |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Sr. |
INF |
Westfield, Ind. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Aubrey Ortiz |
Aurora |
Fr. |
OF |
Escondido, Calif. |
| Bella Lodico |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
P |
Rochelle, Ill. |
| Arissa Santos |
Concordia Chicago |
So. |
INF |
Moreno Valley, Calif. |
| Geneva Pollman |
Dominican |
Sr. |
P/OF |
Bartlett, Ill. |
| Skylar Hall |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
P/INF |
Negaunee, Mich. |
| Madi Johnson |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
P/UT |
Vernon Hills, Ill. |
| Erin Cowe |
Marian |
Fr. |
P/OF |
Palos Hills, Ill. |
| Katelyn Matenaer |
Marian |
Sr. |
INF |
West Bend, Wis. |
| Jocelyn Clodi |
MSOE |
Sr. |
P/INF |
Bourbonnais, Ill. |
| Katie Pollock |
MSOE |
Fr. |
P/INF |
Griffith, Ind. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Giselle Moreno |
Alverno |
So. |
INF |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Victoria Duszynski |
Benedictine |
So. |
OF |
Norridge, Ill. |
| Claudia Utz |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
C |
Lockport, Ill. |
| Liliana Santoyo |
Dominican |
Jr. |
SS |
Crete, Ill. |
| Gracie Halfman |
Edgewood |
So. |
OF |
Beaver Dam, Wis. |
| Jenna Trewyn |
MSOE |
Sr. |
C/INF |
Oak Creek, Wis. |
| Mariah Martinez |
Rockford |
Sr. |
P |
Crestwood, Ill. |
| Kariana Williams |
Rockford |
Jr. |
P/OF |
Pensacola, Fla. |
| Karleigh Linssen |
St. Norbert |
Fr. |
INF |
De Pere, Wis. |
| Addison Race |
St. Norbert |
So. |
P |
Sherwood, Wis. |