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MIAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR-Force Coach and Alum ALEX EHDE

By lb, 05/15/19, 5:30AM CDT

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Eight Wildcats earn MIAC All-Conference Honors, Ehde earns Rookie of the Year, Force Coach Jenna George named All Conference, Former Force player and current Force coach Grace Gilmore named 1st Team All Conference, Former Force Player Amber Montero named 2nd Team All Confernce

Congrats on a phenomenal freshman season at St. Catherine's University.  We are so PROUD of YOU!!!

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the 2019 MIAC Softball Awards on Monday, including the All-Conference and honorable mention Teams, All-Sportsmanship Team, and Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year honors. St. Catherine had a total of eight student-athletes recognized this season, the most in program history. 

Shortstop Alex Ehde was named Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players with 33 hits, 21 RBI, and a batting average of .423 in 78 conference at-bats for St. Kate's in 2019. The first-year shortstop finished her debut season with an on-base percentage of .442 and a slugging percentage of .526 to help the Wildcats lock down the No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs. She becomes St. Catherine's second-ever Rookie of the Year selection, joining 2015 honoree Krista Flugstad. Ehde is the first non-pitcher to win the award since Saint Benedict infielder Kimberly Lidstone in 2013.

In addition to individual awards, the 2019 All-Conference Team, honorable mention selections, and All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team were also announced on Monday. The 39-member All-Conference team included players from all 12 MIAC teams, with 15 seniors, nine juniors, 10 sophomores, and five first-year selections on the squad. St. Catherine had four total on the MIAC All-Conference team and four additional earn All-Conference Honorable Mention. 

Senior Jenna George earned her third MIAC All-Conference honor finishing her impressive four-year career as the Wildcats all-time leader in career home runs, walks, and RBI. Fellow senior Anna Hinderaker earned her second MIAC All-Conference honor finishing her career as the teams runs, hits, games played and triples leader. Hinderaker also was named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship team. As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the 13th annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for softball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.

Sophomore pitcher Kathryn Proper was named to the MIAC All-Conference team following an impressive second-year campaign. Proper tallied a total of 117 strikeouts averaging 5.89 per game and an ERA of 2.57. 

Four additional Wildcats were recognized as honorable mention this season. Juniors Amber Montero and Autumn Mortenson were honored as MIAC All-Conference honorable mention for the first time in their careers. Montero was was fourth in the conference this season with doubles per game and was the youngest Wildcat in program history to achieve 100 hits, reaching that milestone in the first game this season. As the starting catcher all season, Mortenson had a total of 200 putouts and was second in the MIAC for sacrifice fly's. 

Sophomore Mikayla Grant achieved MIAC All-Conference Honors for the first time in her career at St. Kate's. The second baseman was named to the MIAC All-Tournament team just last week following an impressive performance in the 2019 Playoffs. 

The final Wildcat recognized this season with conference honors was first-year pitcher Annabelle Schutte. Splitting time in the circle with Proper, Schutte finished the season with an overall record of 13-4. Schutte tallied 74 strikeouts, averaging 4.24 strikeouts per game and finishing her debut season with 2.75 ERA.