Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State softball team took home several postseason awards as the Horizon League announced its postseason all-league teams today. Cleveland State, the Horizon League regular season champions and the reigning Horizon League Tournament champions, had a total of four student-athletes honored by the league. Head Coach Amy Kyler was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year, Melissa Holzopfel was named Pitcher of the Year, and Brooke Albaugh won the league's Sportsmanship Award.
 
Kyler takes home Coach of the Year honors after leading the Vikings to the regular season championship, the third regular season title in program history and the first since 2010. Cleveland State finished with a 17-7 league record and won six out of a possible eight league series in regular season play. Cleveland State enters this week's Horizon League Tournament hosted in Cleveland looking to defend its tournament tile as the top seed.
 
Holzopfel takes home the Pitcher of the Year Award after a stellar season in the circle. She closed the regular season with a 16-7 overall record including a 15-3 mark in Horizon League games. Holzopfel leads the league with 156 strikeouts in league games and finished second in ERA with a 2.39 mark. She hold a 1.14 WHIP in league play and logged 14 complete games in conference along with three shutouts, one of which was a no-hitter against Detroit Mercy on April 4. Holzopfel was also named to the All-Horizon League First Team in the pitching category.
 
Albaugh claimed the Sportsmanship Award, voted on by the league's coaches, thanks to her hard work and dedication on and off the field. Her coaches describe her as the glue that holds the team together and she is always holding teammates accountable each and every day. In addition to the Sportsmanship Award, she was also named First-Team All-Horizon League after hitting .316 with 24 hits and 11 RBI in conference play. Albaugh scored 17 runs and had nine total extra-base hits in league play.
 
Emma Gilkerson was also named First-Team All-Horizon League after a strong season at the plate. Gilkerson led the league with nine home runs in league games and batted .371 with an .886 slugging percentage and a 1.329 OPS in league games. She finished with 27 RBI which ranked fourth in the league and tied for second with nine doubles.
 
Delaney Ellis was named to the All-Freshman Team after solidifying her place in the starting lineup appearing in 40 games and starting 38 at shortstop. Ellis hit .291 for the season with 34 hits and 15 RBI. She scored 24 total runs and had eight combined extra-base hits.
 
The Vikings are set to compete in the Horizon League Tournament at Viking Field starting on Thursday. Cleveland State receives a first-round bye as the tournament's top seed and will face the winner of no. 4 seed Purdue Fort Wayne and no. 5 seed Northern Kentucky in the opening game of the day on Thursday. Tickets for the tournament are on sale now and can be purchased at this link. For more information, visit Horizon League Tournament Central to stay up to date on all games happening in Cleveland throughout the week.
 
2025 #HLSB Awards
Players of the Year: Sara Ebner, Green Bay & Molly Kable, IU Indianapolis
Pitcher of the Year: Melissa Holzopfel, Cleveland State
Defensive Player of the Year: Morgan Gilbert, IU Indianapolis
Freshmen of the Year: Sara Ebner, Green Bay & Mary Brant, RMU
Coach of the Year: Amy Kyler, Cleveland State
Sportsmanship Award: Brooke Albaugh, Cleveland State
 
All-League First Team (14)
Position Players (11)
Brooke Albaugh, Cleveland State
Emma Gilkerson, Cleveland State
Sara Ebner, Green Bay
Jenna Redders, Green Bay
Morgan Gilbert, IU Indianapolis
Molly Kable, IU Indianapolis
Tori Countryman, Purdue Fort Wayne
Grace Hollopeter, Purdue Fort Wayne
Bailey Manos, Purdue Fort Wayne
Courtney Poulich, RMU
Anna Resnik, RMU
 
Pitchers (3)
Melissa Holzopfel, Cleveland State
Genesis Eggart, Green Bay
Madison DeVault, RMU
 
All-League Second Team (14)
Position Players (11)
Jada Davis, Detroit Mercy
Kendal Calvert, IU Indianapolis
Campbell Beatty, Northern Kentucky
Olivia Pastin, Northern Kentucky
Stella Wulker, Northern Kentucky
Madi Herrington, Oakland
Kamryn Troyer, Oakland
Kaylyn Hopf, RMU
Alaina Koutsogiani, RMU
Jess Matheny, RMU
Lydia Wilkerson, Youngstown State
 
Pitchers (3)
Kenna Bommarito, Oakland
Alanah Jones, Purdue Fort Wayne
Kaitlyn Molitoris, RMU
 
All-Freshman Team (9)
Delaney Ellis, Cleveland State
Erin Flynn, Detroit Mercy
Sara Ebner, Green Bay
Brooke Schwall, Green Bay
Callie Dickerson, IU Indianapolis
Campbell Beatty, Northern Kentucky
Kenna Bommarito, Oakland
Addison Zimpleman, Purdue Fort Wayne
Mary Brant, RMU
 
Sportsmanship Award Finalists (7)
Brooke Albaugh, Cleveland State*
Trinity Fessler, Detroit Mercy
Madyson Baker, Green Bay
Emma Ginn, Northern Kentucky
Storm Kentros, Oakland
Morgan Cantrell, Purdue Fort Wayne
Logan Black, RMU