Thomas named John Wells OAC Pitcher of the Year to highlight Softball All-OAC honors

Muskingum senior pitcher Madelyn Thomas was named the John Wells OAC Pitcher of the Year to highlight the Muskie All-OAC honors.

Thomas, senior outfielder Kalie Eshelman, and sophomore outfielder Cara Taylor were all named First Team All-OAC, while sophomore infielder Sadie Smith earned Second Team honors, and freshman pitcher Tareyn Born was named Honorable Mention.

• Thomas, the OAC Pitcher of the Year, led the league in innings pitched with 129.2 and was second in the OAC in wins (13-4) and ERA (1.89). She held hitters to a .217 batting average and registered 13 complete games with seven shutouts. She racked up 110 strikeouts, which ranked second in the OAC and averaged 5.94 strikeouts per seven innings. Thomas was a three-time OAC Pitcher of the Week. Thomas is the first Muskie to be named the John Wells OAC Pitcher of the Year since Erica Hoyt earned the recognition in 2004. This marks Thomas' second All-OAC honor (Second Team 2022).
• Eshelman was second on the team with a .341 batting average. She ranked eighth in the OAC with 11 doubles and 10th in the league with 31 runs. Eshelman logged 43 hits, which included four triples and three home runs. She also tallied 18 RBIs and seven stolen bases. This marks Eshelman's second All-OAC honor (Second Team 2022).
• Taylor led the team and ranked 10th in the OAC with a .418 batting average. On the year, she ranked third in the league with 37 runs and was second in the OAC with 59 hits (10 doubles, two triples, and a home run). Taylor registered 17 RBIs and a career-high 28 stolen bases. This marks Taylor's second All-OAC honor (Honorable Mention 2023).
• Smith hit .308 en route to leading the Muskies and ranking 10th in the OAC with 34 RBIs. She also added 24 runs, 36 hits (14 doubles, two triples, and a home run), and five stolen bases.
• Born ranked fifth in the OAC with a 2.68 ERA and ranked seventh in the OAC in wins (9-5). On the season, she notched 58 strikeouts in 86.1 innings of work. She also registered 11 hits (five doubles) in limited plate appearances with eight RBIs.

The Muskies next will play in the NCAA Tournament against Roanoke on Thursday, May 16, at the Moravian Regional.