Ottumwa, IA – 12 members of the Indian Hills Softball team have earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region XI accolades following a record-breaking year. The Warriors also took home four of the five individual postseason awards.
Freshman Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) has been selected as the NJCAA Region XI DI Softball Player of the Year after leading the Warriors in a number of statistical categories. Fellow freshman Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) has been named the NJCAA Region XI DI Softball Offensive Player of the Year and freshman Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union) has been named the NJCAA Region XI DI Softball Pitcher of the Year. Head coach Lindsay Diehl has been named the NJCAA Region XI DI Softball Coach of the Year.
Along with the individual awards, the Warriors placed seven individuals on the NJCAA All-Region XI First-Team and five more on the NJCAA All-Region XI Second-Team.
Kennedy Preston (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle), Madie Anderson, Ryann Cheek (Eldridge, IA/North Scott), Lewis, Sydney Anderson, Breanna Newton (Bettendorf, IA/Bettendorf), and Gretta Hartz (Runnells, IA/Southeast Polk) earned first-team honors. Alex Beard (Albia, IA/Albia), Madi Huisman (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny Centennial), Bryanna Mehaffy (Burlington, IA/Burlington), Yanna Roberts (Davenport, IA/Davenport North) and Abbi Cataldo (Altoona, IA/Southeast Polk) were named to the second-team.
To read more about Destiny Lewis being named Player of the Year, visit: LEWIS NAMED REGION XI PLAYER OF THE YEAR
To read more about Sydney Anderson being named Offensive Player of the Year, visit: SYDNEY ANDERSON NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
To read more about Madie Anderson being named Pitcher of the Year, visit: MADIE ANDERSON NAMED PITCHER OF THE YEAR
To read more about Lindsay Diehl being named Coach of the Year, visit: DIEHL NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR
After a record breaking year that saw the Warriors set the new all-time single season home run record, Indian Hills flooded the All-Region team. The 12 All-Region picks are the most since the 2018 team while the seven first-team selections are one shy of the 2018 program.
Kennedy Preston: A two-year member of the Warriors, Kennedy Preston earned First-Team All-Region Catcher honors after managing the Warrior pitching staff throughout the year. Preston, who hit home run No. 111 on the year for the team to set the all-time school record, has hit 12 home runs while posting a .412 batting average on the year. Preston has driven in 47 runs while scoring 44 times. Behind the plate, Preston has thrown out six runners while posting a .995 fielding percentage.
Madie Anderson: Madie Anderson has boasted a remarkable freshman season that saw the Warrior ace win a team-high 17 games while losing just three contests. Anderson has tossed seven complete games, including three shutouts. Anderson struck out a team-high 129 batters and owns a 2.20 earned run average on the year.
Ryann Cheek: Ryann Cheek has emerged down the stretch in the circle for the Warriors. The freshman southpaw was posted a 10-1 record on the year with 71.2 innings of work. The freshman owns a 2.64 earned run average and has struck out 92 batters on the year. Cheek, a two-time three-time ICCAC Athlete of the Week, has allowed just one earned run over her last 18.1 innings, including a complete game shutout over Southeastern in the NJCAA Region XI Tournament.
Destiny Lewis: A high caliber season for Destiny Lewis has resulted in a number of accolades along the way. The freshman currently owns the all-time school record for batting average in a season and ranks second all-time with 30 home runs while her 88 RBI are currently tied for fifth all-time. Lewis has been named the ICCAC Athlete of the Week three times along the NJCAA National Player of the Week.
Sydney Anderson: The current school record holder for home runs in a season, Sydney Anderson has put together a freshman season to remember. The primary first baseman, Anderson has appeared in all 54 contests this year and currently sports a .489 batting average and a 1.129 slugging percentage. Anderson has hit 31 home runs to go along with 88 RBI. Anderson is a four-time ICCAC Athlete of the Week and a two-time NJCAA National Player of the Week.
Breanna Newton: Breanna Newton's outstanding sophomore campaign helped guide the Warriors to the NJCAA Region XI Championship for the seventh consecutive year. Newton has started all 54 contests for the Warriors and boasts a current .387 batting average on the year. Newton has connected on 15 home runs and 23 doubles this year. The sophomore recently become a member of the 100-hit/100-RBI club for the Warriors throughout her two-year career.
Gretta Hartz: Gretta Hartz earns NJCAA All-Region XI honors for the second consecutive season after earning second-team honors a year ago. The sophomore reached the 100-hit club for her career during 2022 and currently holds a .400 batting average on the year. Hartz has connected on 14 home runs while driving in 55 runs. Hartz has also stolen 19 bases on the year, second-most on the team.
Alex Beard: Alex Beard has earned second-team All-Region XI honors for the Warriors after serving a dual role as the team's catcher and designated player. Beard has posted a .416 batting averaged on the year after collecting a career-high 47 hits in 113 at bats. The sophomore utility player has hit five home runs and driven in 31 runs while scoring 24 times.
Madi Huisman: Madi Huisman posted a 13-2 record on the year in the circle while pitching 91.1 innings. The sophomore from Ankeny strike out 80 batters and led the Warriors with a team-best 1.84 earned run average. Husiman tossed eight complete games, including three shutouts. Huisman was twice named the ICCAC Pitcher of the Week for the Warriors.
Bryanna Mehaffy: Bryanna Mehaffy earns consecutive All-Region XI honors after being named to the first-team as a freshman. The standout shortstop for the Warriors posted a .927 fielding percentage while turning six double plays on the year. At the plate, the lefty posted a .349 batting average while collecting 45 hits to eclipse the 100-hit milestone for her career. Mehaffy scored 37 runs on the year while stealing 13 bases.
Yanna Roberts: A standout season in centerfield has led to All-Region honors for Yanna Roberts. The freshman has made just two errors on the year while posting a .966 fielding percentage. At the plate, Roberts has posted a .377 batting average while stealing 15 bases. Roberts has scored 40 runs for the Warriors while driving in 10.
Abbi Cataldo: Abbi Cataldo's freshman productivity has continued to emerge down the stretch for the Warriors. The primary outfielder has posted a .328 batting average on the year to go along with six home runs and 44 RBI. Cataldo has hit safely in 10 of the team's last 11 games heading into the District tournament.
The Warriors are set to host the NJCAA Midwest District Tournament at R.L. Hellyer Field on May 14 against Crowder College (MO). The best-of-three series gets underway at 2:00 PM Saturday with a doubleheader and an if necessary game on Sunday, May 15.