MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University Blue Angels softball team had major progress throughout the 2015 season, and were recognized Wednesday May 13th when the Association of Division III Independents released their All-Association Awards for the 2015 softball season.
The season itself was a big improvement from the previous MMU campaigns. A program that had only one recruited player on their roster at the time. Going 3-29 in 2014 with 101 hits, .167 team batting average, and a 14.97 team ERA.
Coach Edwards worked hard in the off-season bringing in four NCAA recruits. The season was a steady increase from 2014, finishing the 2015 campaign with a 9-22 record 180 team hits, a .245 team BA, and a 6.67 team ERA.
For all his hard work in the off-season and his dedication throughout the year, Coach Tim Edwards won the AD3I Softball Coach of the Year for 2015.
Katie Edwards (Sr./Mackinaw, Ill.) capped off her collegiate career with a terrific year. Leading the AD3I with seven homeruns and a .690 slugging percentage, and finishing second in the association with 28 RBIs and a .417 batting average. The dependability along with the sheer power earned Edwards the AD3I softball Player of the Year along with AD3I All-Association First team honors as a catcher.
Continuing the growth of MMU athletics, for the first time since joining the AD3I, in the same school year, MMU athletics brought home three Rookie of the Year Awards in different sports. As the AD3I gave Ashley Contreras (Fr./College Station, Texas) Rookie of the Year for 2015. Contreras took care of business in the circle along within the batter's box. Pitching 91 innings, striking out 55 batters, and had 10 complete games. Contreras hit .367 at the dish and led AD3I with 13 doubles, and finished with 14 RBIs. Contreras was also named to the AD3I All-Association second team as a pitcher.
Nicole Weggen (Jr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) earned AD3I All-Assocation First Team as a utility player. Weggen was a cornerstone of the defense as she played any position that needed the security of a veteran and hit .338 average and had an OBP of .440 all the while bringing in 12 RBIs.
For her strong work in the circle, Nikki Festge (Jr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) earned a spot on the All-Association Second Team as a pitcher. The junior finished with 11 complete games, 83.1 IP, 50 K and a 7.81 ERA.
Payton Hintz (Fr./Almond, Wis.) finished with a .313 BA, .402 OBP, .450 SLG, 25 hits and two homeruns. The rookie played at both first and third base, but settled in as a good defensive option at third by the end of the year. With all that hard work, Hintz earned a spot on the AD3I All-Association Second team as a third basemen.
It has been a standout year for Blue Angels athletics, and the performance of the softball team this year showed what the school's spirit and determination can get. As the continuing success grows, Blue Angels fans are ready for next year already. Congratulations MMU Softball!