News

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Four members of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's fastpitch softball team were recently honored when the American Mideast Conference awards were announced.

Stephanie Johnson	Tiffany Simpson
Shannon Rachel	Heather Clark

Stephanie Johnson, a freshman shortstop from Tallmadge, Ohio, highlighted the awards by being selected as the AMC Freshman of the Year and also earning AMC Honorable Mention status. The former All-Ohioan from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy led the Lady Cougars in nearly every offensive category with a .406 batting average, 12 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 32 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in 13 attempts.

Tiffany Simpson, a junior second baseman from Loudonville, Ohio, was named to the AMC First Team. The former Hillsdale High School star batted .292 with six doubles, a team-high seven triples, 12 RBI, and 24 runs scored. Simpson also posted a .958 fielding percentage with only 11 errors in 262 chances.

Shannon Rachel, a sophomore pitcher from Galion, Ohio, was named to the AMC Second Team. The former All-Ohioan at Colonel Crawford High School posted a 12-10 record on the mound with a team-best 1.59 earned run average. In 163 innings of work, Rachel allowed just 28 walks with 72 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .235 against her.

Heather Clark, a freshman pitcher from Oxford, Ohio, joined Rachel on the AMC Second Team. The former Talawanda High School standout led MVNU with a 17-10 record to go with a 1.88 ERA. Clark also tossed a team-leading seven shutouts and one perfect game. Opponents hit just .237 against her.

MVNU finished the season with a 29-20 overall record and was third in the AMC Central Division with a 13-7 mark. The Lady Cougars also advanced to the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the first time in the program's history.