Courtesy of C-USA
MIAMI, Florida – Conference USA has announced its C-USA Softball all-conference teams and specialty awards for the 2015 season. WKU claimed three of the five specialty awards as standout starting pitcher Miranda Kramer earned C-USA Pitcher of the Year and C-USA Newcomer of the Year, while head coach Amy Tudor was named the C-USA Coach of the Year. Marshall’s Elicia D’Orazio garnered the C-USA Freshman of the Year accolade, and UAB’s Caitlin Attfield was named the C-USA Player of the Year. All honorees were selected via a vote by the league’s 12 head coaches.
In her program’s first year in C-USA, Tudor guided the Lady Toppers to the C-USA regular-season championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the C-USA Championship, which is set to begin May 7 in Miami, Florida. Under Tudor, WKU posted a 31-12 mark, including a pair of wins against ranked foes, while going 16-5 in league play.
Kramer has displayed one of the best seasons of any student-athlete in the league’s 15-year softball history en route to two C-USA specialty awards, pitcher of the year and newcomer of the year. The transfer senior earned three national awards, including two ESPNW Player of the Week honors, the only player in the history of the award to receive it twice. The West Burlington, Iowa, native was named a finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year decoration and earned a league-record eight C-USA Pitcher of the Week awards. Statistically speaking, the southpaw is among the nation’s elite. Kramer ranks first in strikeouts per seven innings (12.9), second in total shutouts (12), second in ERA (.84) and first in total strikeouts (366). C-USA-wise, the ace went 11-3 and struck out a C-USA single-season record 180 batters during league play.
Attfield garnered C-USA Player of the Year recognition following a highly productive season at the plate, where the junior batted .473, which is good for ninth-best in the nation. In league play, the Niagara Falls, New York, product really shined, leading the league in hits (37) and batting average (.487 – minimum 15 at-bats). During the 2015 campaign, Attfield became UAB’s all-time hits leader and led the league in doubles (15), while guiding the Blazers to another 30-plus win season and the No. 4 seed in the C-USA Championship.
Rounding out the specialty awards was Marshall’s Elicia D’Orazio, who snagged the C-USA Freshman of the Year honor the same way she snatched 24 stolen bases for the speedy Herd. Her 24 boosted bags rank fifth in the league, while her .361 batting average is fourth in the explosive Marshall lineup. The Sunshine State native was fifth during C-USA play with 33 hits, four short of the league lead. Her .458 batting average during league games was third in C-USA (minimum 15 at-bats).
2015 Conference USA Softball Specialty Awards
Pitcher of the Year: Miranda Kramer, WKU
Player of the Year: Caitlin Attfield, UAB
Freshman of the Year: Elicia D’Orazio, Marshall
Newcomer of the Year: Miranda Kramer, WKU
Coach of the Year: Amy Tudor, WKU
First-Team All-Conference USA
C – Morgan Harris, Middle Tennessee
IF – Elicia D’Orazio, Marshall
IF – Caitlin Attfield, UAB
IF – Sara Beth Williamson, UAB
IF – Megan Low, UTSA
OF – Morgan Zerkle, Marshall
OF – Kat Strunk, North Texas
OF – Larissa Franklin, WKU
DP – Randee Crawford, UTSA
UT – Kawehiokalani Netane, UTEP
P – Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic
P – Miranda Kramer, WKU
Second-Team All-Conference USA
C – Dani Pugh, WKU
IF – Stephanie Texeira, FIU
IF – Emily Lochten, Florida Atlantic
IF – Melissa Martinez, Florida Atlantic
IF – Shaelynn Braxton, Marshall
OF – Emileigh Cooper, Marshall
OF – Ashley Eldridge, UTEP
OF – Kendall Burton, UTSA
UT – JoJo Fallen, UAB
P – Lexi Betancourt, Charlotte
P – Jordan Dixon, Marshall
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Ashley Belans, FIU
Emily Lochten, Florida Atlantic
Karlee Jensen, Louisiana Tech
Bailey Allen, Louisiana Tech
Elicia D’Orazio, Marshall
Cor’Nisha Birdsong, Middle Tennessee
Morgan Harris, Middle Tennessee
Megan Smith, UAB
Courtney Clayton, UTEP
Kendall Burton, UTSA
Carleigh Chaumont, WKU
