Big 12 Conference Releases 2026 Softball Season Awards
The 2026 Big 12 Softball annual awards characteristic seven gamers incomes particular person awards, a First and Second Team honoring 36 choices, a 12-member All-Freshman Team and an All-Defensive Team. Season awards have been voted on by the league’s head coaches, who have been prohibited from voting for their very own gamers. The Batting Champion award was solely based mostly on batting common throughout league play.
Arizona’s Sydney Stewart claimed Player of the Year and the Batting Champion title, whereas teammate Regan Shockey was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Tayler Biehl rounded out the Wildcats’ particular person honors, incomes Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Kansas picked up two particular person honors as Ella Boyer was unanimously chosen because the league’s Freshman of the Year, whereas Hailey Cripe shared the yearly Defensive Player award.
Oklahoma State garnered one award as Ruby Meylan was named the Co-Pitcher of the Year.
Texas Tech additionally earned two particular person awards as NiJaree Canady was named Co-Pitcher of the Year and Gerry Glasco collected Coach of the Year.
Stewart earns Arizona’s second consecutive Big 12 Player of the Year award and in addition picked up the Batting Champion title after hitting .490 in the course of the (*12*) schedule. The catcher additionally led the league in OPS (1,969), slugging (1,314), RBIs (40) and residential runs (13), taking part in in all 24 video games for the Wildcats. Stewart was additionally named a unanimous choice to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Shockey posted a 1,000 fielding proportion throughout Big 12 play, placing out or aiding on 54 whole possibilities in 24 video games. She has an general .992 fielding proportion and has been concerned in three of Arizona’s nation-leading 41 double performs this season. The utility participant additionally earned a range to the league’s All-Defensive Team as an outfielder.
Biehl was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year, holding a 4.0 GPA in diet. The senior infielder has performed in each sport for the Wildcats and ranks fourth on the workforce with a .364 batting common.
Boyer is the third Jayhawk to be honored because the league’s prime freshman softball participant in program historical past and the primary since 2015. In her debut season, she set this system file for many house runs by a KU participant of their first 12 months since 2015. The Freshman of the Year and First Team unanimous choice hit 13 house runs in Big 12 play, tying for second. She had a batting common of .338 and scored 26 runs in every Big 12 sport for KU. The Spring, Texas native earned three weekly awards this season.
Cripe, an All-Defensive Team choice, had a .982 fielding proportion after placing out or aiding in 108 out of 110 possibilities. The senior is the primary Jayhawk to be honored because the league’s prime defensive participant since he was first honored in 2024.
Meylan was the one Big 12 pitcher who threw greater than 86 innings throughout league play, recording 115.2 in 19 appearances. She had a 15-2 file and tossed 12 full video games. She had a 1.57 ERA after solely giving up 26 earned runs, together with throwing the league’s third-most strikeouts (95) towards Big 12 opponents. She was additionally certainly one of three Big 12 pitchers to file an ideal sport in the course of the (*12*) slate and had two no-hitters all through the season. Meylan, who has received the Conference’s weekly award for pitchers thrice this season, is the second Cowgirl pitcher in three seasons to win the yearly award.
Canady led the Big 12 with a 1.54 ERA, holding an 11-2 file with 68.1 innings pitched in the course of the (*12*) schedule. In 15 video games within the circle towards Big 12 opponents, she held opposing batters to a .157 batting common and struck out 96 batters. The senior was credited with three shutouts towards league opponents, which included an ideal sport and a further no-hitter. The reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year earned 4 league weekly honors this season.
Glasco led Texas Tech to back-to-back Big 12 regular-season titles after the Red Raiders completed with a Big 12 file of 21-3. TTU surpassed its program file of 74 house runs set in 2023, at present sitting at 118. The workforce has been ranked inside the nation’s top-3 spots within the polls all season and was the primary NCAA DI workforce to succeed in 50 wins this season. The 2026 season marked vital milestones for Glasco as he earned his profession 400th and 100th victories with this system. This is his second consecutive 12 months successful the Big 12’s Coach of the Year award.
Arizona and Texas Tech tied with seven choices throughout the First and Second Team, adopted by six from UCF, 4 from Arizona State, three from Iowa State and Kansas, and two honorees apiece from Houston, Oklahoma State and Utah.
The All-Freshman Team is comprised of first-year gamers from Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Utah.
The 2026 Big 12 softball season awards spherical out with the nine-member All-Defensive Team, that includes gamers from Arizona, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
2026 Big 12 Season Awards
Player and Batting Champion: Sydney Stewart, Arizona
Pitcher: Ruby Meylan, Oklahoma State and NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech
Freshman: Ella Boyer, Kansas*
Defensive Player: Regan Shockey, Arizona and Hailey Cripe, Kansas
Scholar-Athlete: Tayler Biehl, Arizona
Coach of the Year: Gerry Glasco, Texas Tech
First Team
Tayler Biehl, Arizona
Grace Jenkins, Arizona
Regan Shockey, Arizona
Sydney Stewart, Arizona*
Kenzie Brown, Arizona State
Katie Chester, Arizona State
Samantha Swan, Arizona State*
Sierra Humphreys, UCF
Isabella Vega, UCF
Tatum Johnson, Iowa State
Ella Boyer, Kansas*
Anna Soles, Kansas
Rosie Davis, Oklahoma State
Ruby Meylan, Oklahoma State*
NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech*
Jackie Lis, Texas Tech*
Kaitlyn Terry, Texas Tech*
Mia Williams, Texas Tech*
Second Team
Jalen Adams, Arizona
Tele Jennings, Arizona
Sereniti Trice, Arizona
Kaylee Pond, Arizona State
Beth Damon, UCF
Aubrey Evans, UCF
Izzy Mertes, UCF
Samantha Rey, UCF
Maddie Hartley, Houston
Makenna Mitchell, Houston
Reagan Bartholomew, Iowa State
Karlee Ford, Iowa State
Presley Limbaugh, Kansas
Jasmyn Burns, Texas Tech
Mihyia Davis, Texas Tech
Taylor Pannell, Texas Tech
Mia Gomez, Utah
Hailey Maestretti, Utah
All-Freshman Team
Rylie Holder, Arizona
Kez Lucas, Arizona
Kaygen Marshall, Baylor
Blakely Barber, Kansas
Ella Boyer, Kansas*
Lila Partridge, Kansas
Jayelle Austin, Oklahoma State
Aubrey Jones, Oklahoma State*
Payton Crank, Utah
Mia Gomez, Utah*
Cian Noli, Utah*
Danika Wilson, Utah*
Defensive Team
P – NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech
C – Audrey Schneidmiller, Oklahoma State
1B – Sydney Malott, Iowa State
2B – Sereniti Trice, Arizona
SS – Hailey Cripe, Kansas
3B – Taylor Pannell, Texas Tech
OF – Regan Shockey, Arizona
OF – Brooklyn Carter, Baylor
OF – Presley Limbaugh, Kansas
*signifies unanimous choice
