Wheeler is MWC Player of the Year in softball
Grinnell College Athletics
GRINNELL, Iowa – For the second year in a row, and just the third time ever, Grinnell College boasts the Midwest Conference Softball Player of the Year.
Darice Wheeler ’21 earned that honor, and was also named Newcomer of the Year, after a record-breaking season. She is just one of four Pioneers to make the first team from a squad that qualified the MWC Tourney for the first time since 2006.
Other Pioneers on the elite unit are Kayla Morrissey ’18, Mya Davis ’21 and Flynn Johnson ’21. That is the most first-team selections ever for Grinnell, and ties Illinois College with the most elite teamers this season. Leila Bishop-Parise ’21 was a second-team choice, giving Grinnell the most all-league selections since 2005.
Wheeler, a pitcher/second baseman, entered Saturday as the NCAA Division III leader in RBIs with 63 and slugging percentage at 1.143. She set Grinnell school records in both categories as well as batting average (.513), on-base percentage (.607), runs (49), hits (59), doubles (14), home runs (18), total bases (129) and bases on balls (27). Additionally, she is Grinnell’s career leader in home runs with 18.
Wheeler’s efforts helped Grinnell orchestrate its finest season ever, breaking the school record of 23 wins with a 2-0 victory over nationally-ranked Lake Forest College Friday. Wheeler, who was named to the all-league team at a utility spot, is in the MWC’s top 10 in 11 categories this season and owns an 11-5 record as a pitcher.
Morrissey, a third baseman and last year’s MWC Player of the Year, is just the second Pioneer to be named all-conference four years in a row. She established Grinnell career records as of Saturday morning in games played (141), games started (141), at bats (469), runs (117), hits (195), triples (14), RBIs (102) and total bases (270). The MWC all-time leader in career hits also set a Pioneer record for at bats in a season with 138 and is in the league’s top 10 in nine categories this season.
Davis made the All-MWC team at the designated player spot. A .317 hitter this season, she ranks fourth in the MWC in home runs with five and sacrifice flies with two, and is 10th in slugging percentage at .573.
Johnson, a first baseman/outfielder, was named to the team at an at-large spot. She ranks first in the league in sacrifice flies with three, a Grinnell school record, is second in RBIs (36) and in the top 10 in slugging percentage (.586), on-base percentage (.454), hits (43), doubles (11) and bases on balls (16).
Bishop-Parise, a center fielder, was named to the all-league team as an at-large selection. The school record holder for sacrifice bunts in a season with 11, she also ranks in the MWC top 10 for runs scored (35), triples (4) and RBIs (27).
Mariah Hedges of Illinois College was named Pitcher of the Year and Ripon College collected the Sportsmanship Award.
