CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State senior shortstop Cynthia Woodard (Elyria, Ohio) was named the 2015 Horizon League Softball Player of the Year, while junior catcher Erica McNew (Canton, Ohio), junior pitcher Susan Knight (Milan, Ohio) and freshman utillity player Mackenzie Joecken (Osceola, Ind.) also earned all-league honors.
Woodard and McNew were members of the All-Horizon League first team, while Knight was voted to the second team. Joecken was selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman team.
Woodard, who is making her second straight appearance on the all-league first team, is the third player in program history to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Tenille Whiteside (1997), Tess Sito (2010 & 2011) and Dara Toman (2013). She ranks second in the league with a .434 batting average and is tops with 24 home runs and 50 RBI. All three totals are CSU single season records.
In addition, Woodard leads the Horizon League with 47 runs, 69 hits, 154 total bases and a .969 slugging percentage and is third with 13 doubles.
Woodard ranks second in CSU history with 43 home runs and fifth with 104 RBI.
McNew, who was named to the All-Horizon League first team for the third straight season, is third in the league with a .430 batting average, second in home runs (12) and fourth in runs batted in (36). In her three seasons at CSU, McNew is third all-time with 36 home runs and seventh with 97 career RBI.
Knight earned her first-ever selection to the all-league team after a strong season in the circle and at the plate. She won 11 games as a pitcher with a 3.15 ERA and 72 strikeouts to rank ninth in the league. Opponents hit just .273 off Knight this season, the fifth lowest in the league. She has worked 149 innings this season, second most in the league, and has 10 complete games and two shutouts.
At the plate, Knight hit .281 with 29 runs, two doubles, two triples, five home runs and 16 RBI.
Joecken was selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman team after a strong first season in which she hit .272 with 10 runs, six doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBI.
CSU is the No. 6 seed in this week's Horizon League Championship and opens play with a first round game against No. 4 seeded Green Bay on Wednesday (May 6) at 12:00 p.m. at Oakland.
The winner advances to play top-seeded Oakland on Thursday (May 7) at 12:00 p.m., while the loser will play an elimination game on Wednesday (May 6) at 5:00 p.m. against the loser of the other first round game between No. 3 Wright State and No. 5 Valparaiso.
2015 Horizon League Softball Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cynthia Woodard, Cleveland State
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Elaine Heflin, UIC
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tiana Mack-Miller, UIC
COACH OF THE YEAR
Connie Miner, Oakland
ALL-LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
Cynthia Woodard, Cleveland State
Erica McNew, Cleveland State
Kayla Kostich, Detroit
Hailey Mohrfeld, Green Bay
Erin Kownacki, Oakland (P)
Sara Cupp, Oakland
Courtnee Johnson, Oakland
Tiana Mack-Miller, UIC
Elaine Heflin, UIC (P)
Laura Swan, UIC
Kaitlyn Ranieri, Valparaiso
Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State
SECOND TEAM
Susan Knight, Cleveland State (P)
Savannah Ferstle, Detroit
Katelyn Huemmer, Green Bay
Sarah Hartley, Oakland
Jacki Kisman, Oakland
Eleni Polites, UIC
Taylor Nadler, Valparaiso
Becka Peterson, Wright State
Hanna Floyd, Wright State
Jess Gorman, Wright State
Montana Wear, Wright State (P)
Sara Dowd, Youngstown State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Mackenzie Joecken, Cleveland State
Savannah Ferstle, Detroit
Alexx Astorga, Detroit
Julia Morales, Oakland
Hailey Zemmer, Oakland
Tiana Mack-Miller, UIC
Taylor Nadler, Valparaiso
Stephanie Moreno, Valparaiso
Cali Mikovich, Youngstown State
