CARMEL, Ind. – Following the 2025 season, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the Softball major award winners and members of the All-Conference Teams.
Franklin College's
Eriana Wagner (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the Player of the Year title following a vote of league coaches. Eriana leads the conference in many significant statistical categories. Wagner led the conference with a .590 average and .920 slugging average. In Wagner's 50 appearances at the plate, she had 29 hits, 21 runs, 3 homeruns, and 12 RBIs - for a total of 46 bases. Wagner's OB percentage sits at .633.
In the circle, Transylvania University’s
Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Ky.) was named the 2025 HCAC Pitcher of the Year. Gibson's statline includes 6-1 in the regular season, a 2.22 ERA, pitching 34.2 innings, and 20 strikeouts.
Fellow Pioneer first-year
Emilie Young (Independence, Ky.) was voted as the 2025 HCAC Newcomer of the Year. The first year student-athlete boasted a .450 batting average, alongside 9 runs off of 18 hits. Young also collected 11 RBIs. All of these stats culminated in .625 slugging percentage and a .511 OB percentage.
Transylvania University head coach
Shawn Hendrickson led the Pioneers to five-peat as reigning HCAC Regular season champs with an 11-2 conference mark, earning the No. 1 seed. His leadership garnered the recognition of his peers and the title of 2025 HCAC Softball Coach of the Year.
Player of the Year: Eriana Wagner, Franklin College
Pitcher of the Year: Raegan Gibson, Transylvania University
Newcomer of the Year: Emilie Young, Transylvania University
Softball Coach of the Year: Shawn Hendrickson, Transylvania University
The HCAC also honors an All-Conference First Team and Second Team. The members of those teams are selected by a vote of league coaches and are listed below.
All-Conference First Team
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Trinity Bridges |
Pitcher |
Transylvania |
| Raegan Gibson |
Pitcher |
Transylvania |
| Zoey Kugelman |
Utility |
Franklin |
| Emily McDonald |
Outfield |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Jessica Newsom |
Catcher |
Rose-Hulman |
| Shelby Rakosky |
Third Base |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Tatum Rickert |
Pitcher |
Earlham |
| Reagan Rouleau |
First Base |
Transylvania |
| Maddie Schoenradt |
Outfield |
Anderson |
| Olivia Staigl |
Designated Hitter |
Franklin |
| Ella Steczynski |
Short Stop |
Transylvania |
| Eriana Wagner |
Outfield |
Franklin |
| Molly Wallace |
Second Base |
Franklin |
| Lizzy Willis |
Outfield |
Manchester |
| Phoebe Wortsell |
Utility |
Rose-Hulman |
| Emilie Young |
Catcher |
Transylvania |
All-Conference Second Team
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Lauren Beaman |
Utility |
Hanover |
| Kaitlyn Carr |
Pitcher |
Manchester |
| Morgan Cooksey |
Pitcher |
Earlham |
| Macy Cornelius |
Outfield |
Mount St. Joseph |
| LauRie Harmless |
First Base |
Hanover |
| Alayna Hart |
Outfield |
Anderson |
| Braelynn Hattendorf |
Designated Hitter |
Anderson |
| MacKinley Lawson |
Catcher |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Avery Parsons |
Second Base |
Transylvania |
| Lesleigh Reimers |
Pitcher |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Kendal Rider |
Outfield |
Manchester |
| Kayla Schnippel |
First Base |
Rose-Hulman |
| Aubrey Smith |
Third Base |
Rose-Hulman |
| Avery Wiltermood |
Short Stop |
Mount St. Joseph |
For more information on HCAC Softball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on X and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.