Breakwell Named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year; Burnett Named Freshman of the Year

 
POCATELLO, Idaho- For the second straight year the Idaho State softball team boasts the Big Sky Conference Player and Freshman of the Year. Hailey Breakwell was named Player of the Year and Kacie Burnett was named Freshman of the Year. The Bengals also had 11 players named to all-conference teams. All awards were voted on by the conference coaches.

"The success these players are having now is a reflection of how hard they work in the weight room, in practice and in the classroom," Idaho State coach Julie Wright said. "I am proud of the effort of not only these individuals but our entire team." 

Breakwell played and started all 50 games at short stop. For the season she hit .362 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. In conference play she hit .444 with five home runs and 15 RBIs. She had a slugging percentage of .778 during league play while only striking out five times.

Burnett, who was a unanimous choice for Freshman of the Year, made an instant impact for the Bengals at the plate and in left field.  She played and started in all 50 games and led ISU in hitting with a .449 overall batting average.  Her 61 runs scored and 26 stolen bases is a single-season ISU record and she is three hits away from setting the single-season hits record. In conference play Burnett hit .397.

Breakwell, Burnett, Vicky Galasso and  Terah Blackwell all earned first-team all-conference. This is the second-straight year Galasso and Blackwell have earned first-team honors. Galasso was a unanimous selection.

Katee Wiley and Jessica Tolmie earned second-team all-league while Maddy Hickman, Micheala Taylor, Sarah Hayes, Katelyn Marquez and Haley Douglas earned honorable mention honors.

Galasso hit .382 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs while playing and starting in all 50 games. In conference play she hit .340 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs.

Blackwell had six home runs and 19 RBIs in conference play and finished with 16 homers and 70 RBIs overall. The 70 RBIs is a single-season school record. She finished the year hitting .359.

Wiley played in all 50 games, starting 49. She hit .333 in conference play and for the season she had two home runs and 27 RBIs.

Tolmie went 4-1 in the circle in 32.1 innings of work during Big Sky play. She struck out 28 and held conference opponents to a .184 batting average. For the year she finished 7-3 and boasted a 3.50 era in 74 innings.

Hickman hit .362 in conference play while playing first base and Taylor hit .333 and played all season at second base.

Hayes started 14 conference games and played third base for the Bengals. She hit .333 in conference. Marquez played and started all 50 games in center field. She hit .307 on the season.

In the circle, Douglas was 17-10 overall and 7-2 in league play. The 17 wins was a new ISU single-season record. She pitched 153.2 innings this year.

The Bengals host the 2014 Idaho Central Credit Union tournament May 8-10 at Miller Ranch Stadium. Idaho State plays Northern Colorado on Thursday, May 8, at 1 p.m. and Sacramento State plays SUU at 4 p.m.

The winners play Friday, May 9, at 10 a.m. and the losers of Thursday's games play at 1 p.m. with the loser of the 10 a.m. game and the winner of the 1 p.m. game playing at 4 p.m. The championship is Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m.


Player of the Year: Hailey Breakwell – Idaho State
Pitcher of the Year: Caitlin Brooks – Sacramento State (unanimous)
Freshman of the Year: Kacie Burnett – Idaho State (unanimous)
Top Newcomer: Lyndsey Healey – Southern Utah
 
2014 Big Sky Softball All-Conference Teams
FIRST TEAM
Catcher *^Vicky Galasso Idaho State Junior
First Base Mikayla Du??y Northern Colorado Junior
Second Base ^Melissa Marcovecchio Northern Colorado Junior
Shortstop Hailey Breakwell Idaho State Junior
Third Base Alexis Martinez Sacramento State Freshman
Outfielder Kacie Burnett Idaho State Freshman
Morgan Yuhas Northern Colorado Junior
^Kylee Wolf Southern Utah Sophomore
Pitcher *^Caitlin Brooks Sacramento State Junior
MaCauley Flint Weber State Junior
Pitcher/Utility Megan Wilkinson Northern Colorado Senior
Utility ^Terah Blackwell Idaho State Senior
*Unanimous Selection
^Two-Time First-Team Selection
SECOND TEAM
Catcher Lyndsey Healey Southern Utah Junior
First Base Brittany Hendrickson Portland State Junior
Second Base Meagan Neilson Southern Utah Senior
Shortstop Caralyn Chewning North Dakota Senior
Third Base Aly Kulp Weber State Sophomore
Outfielder Katee Wiley Idaho State Senior
Aubrey Nitschelm Portland State Junior
Paige Martin Sacramento State Junior
Pitcher Jessica Tolmie Idaho State Sophomore
Taylor Stroud Sacramento State Senior
Pitcher/Utility Jasmine Ionae Weber State Senior
Utility Kortney Solis Sacramento State Sophomore
HONORABLE MENTION
Catcher – Nicole Hudson - Northern Colorado; Nikki Gialketsis - Sacramento State; Mylee Davis - Weber State
First Base - Maddy Hickman - Idaho State; D Jantzer - North Dakota; Sasha Margulies - Sacramento State;
Madison Resley - Southern Utah
Second Base - Micheala Taylor - Idaho State; Taylor Hansen - North Dakota; Yesenia Alcala - Sacramento
State
Shortstop - Erica Dick - Northern Colorado; Alicia Fine - Portland State; Paige Castro - Sacramento State;
Brooke Silva - Weber State
Third Base - Sarah Hayes - Idaho State; Kaitlin Flynn - Northern Colorado; Crysta Conn - Portland State; Kadi
Henderson - Southern Utah
Outfielder - Katelyn Marquez - Idaho State; Emily Bell - North Dakota; Becca Bliss - Portland State; Alexa
Chattleton - Sacramento State; Nicole Clark - Sacramento State; Sara Park - Southern Utah; Sara Hingsberger
- Weber State
Pitcher - Haley Douglas - Idaho State; Ariel Hart - Southern Utah
Pitcher/Utility - Melissa Masters - Portland State; Katie Greenberg - Southern Utah
Utility - Courtney Gonzales - North Dakota; Taqnisha Anderson - Southern Utah