Oklahoma State University Athletics
Seven Cowgirls Named to the Academic All-Big 12 Softball Team
May 07, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
Seven members of the Oklahoma State softball squad were named to the 2015 Academic All-Big 12 Softball Team, the conference announced today.
Shortstop Gessenia DeLaCruz, outfielder Shianne Hughes, third baseman Tiffany Mikkelson, utility infielder Michaela Patton and first baseman Danielle Riddle were named to the first team, while outfielder Shelby Davis and catcher Dre McKee earned second team honors.
This is the second time DeLaCruz has been named to the first team, with the first coming in 2013. The management major has started in 178 games over her four-year career, putting her at No. 21 on the all-time list at OSU. DeLaCruz's three home runs in 2015 ties for second on the team, while her .423 slugging percentage ranks third. Overall, DeLaCruz has qualified for the All-Academic Big 12 team in each of her three eligible seasons, as she also earned a spot on the second team in 2014.
Davis, a senior recreation management and therapeutic recreation major, receives her second-consecutive selection after earning first-team honors in 2014. The Goddard, Kan., has been sensational in 2015, posting a conference-high.440 batting average and a nation-leading 45 stolen bases. For her career efforts, Davis was selected as the eighth-overall pick by the PA Rebellion in April's NPF College Draft.
This also marks the second-straight selection for both Mikkelson and Hughes. Hughes, a finance and management junior, has started at the No. 2 spot in 49 games this season, providing a .280 mark at the plate and a team-leading 12 sacrifice hits.
Mikkelson, a second-team selection in 2014, is having a career season for the Cowgirls. The communication sciences and disorders junior holds top-ten conference marks in home runs, stolen bases, walks, RBI and total bases. Her 13 homers have nearly doubled her previous season-high, and stand one short of tying the single-season school record.
Also highlighting the list are Patton and Riddle, who both qualified with 4.00 grade point averages. Patton, a junior psychology major, has accumulated a .437 on-base percentage in 34 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the team. Riddle, a communication sciences and disorders junior, has been one of the Cowgirls' primary run producers, providing 22 RBIs, three home runs and a .360 slugging percentage.
For McKee, this marks her first-career selection to the Academic All-Big 12 team. The marketing junior has made 29 starts this season, appearing primarily at designated player and catcher.
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
In total, Oklahoma State's seven selections give the team its most since 2011, when the Cowgirls also placed seven on the list. OSU has had at least three players named Academic all-conference in each of the last seven years and 24 of the last 28 seasons, dating back to the Big Eight Conference. Since the Big 12 formed in 1996, 56 different Cowgirls have been named Academic All-Big 12 a combined 78 times.
Shortstop Gessenia DeLaCruz, outfielder Shianne Hughes, third baseman Tiffany Mikkelson, utility infielder Michaela Patton and first baseman Danielle Riddle were named to the first team, while outfielder Shelby Davis and catcher Dre McKee earned second team honors.
This is the second time DeLaCruz has been named to the first team, with the first coming in 2013. The management major has started in 178 games over her four-year career, putting her at No. 21 on the all-time list at OSU. DeLaCruz's three home runs in 2015 ties for second on the team, while her .423 slugging percentage ranks third. Overall, DeLaCruz has qualified for the All-Academic Big 12 team in each of her three eligible seasons, as she also earned a spot on the second team in 2014.
Davis, a senior recreation management and therapeutic recreation major, receives her second-consecutive selection after earning first-team honors in 2014. The Goddard, Kan., has been sensational in 2015, posting a conference-high.440 batting average and a nation-leading 45 stolen bases. For her career efforts, Davis was selected as the eighth-overall pick by the PA Rebellion in April's NPF College Draft.
This also marks the second-straight selection for both Mikkelson and Hughes. Hughes, a finance and management junior, has started at the No. 2 spot in 49 games this season, providing a .280 mark at the plate and a team-leading 12 sacrifice hits.
Mikkelson, a second-team selection in 2014, is having a career season for the Cowgirls. The communication sciences and disorders junior holds top-ten conference marks in home runs, stolen bases, walks, RBI and total bases. Her 13 homers have nearly doubled her previous season-high, and stand one short of tying the single-season school record.
Also highlighting the list are Patton and Riddle, who both qualified with 4.00 grade point averages. Patton, a junior psychology major, has accumulated a .437 on-base percentage in 34 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the team. Riddle, a communication sciences and disorders junior, has been one of the Cowgirls' primary run producers, providing 22 RBIs, three home runs and a .360 slugging percentage.
For McKee, this marks her first-career selection to the Academic All-Big 12 team. The marketing junior has made 29 starts this season, appearing primarily at designated player and catcher.
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
In total, Oklahoma State's seven selections give the team its most since 2011, when the Cowgirls also placed seven on the list. OSU has had at least three players named Academic all-conference in each of the last seven years and 24 of the last 28 seasons, dating back to the Big Eight Conference. Since the Big 12 formed in 1996, 56 different Cowgirls have been named Academic All-Big 12 a combined 78 times.
Players Mentioned
OF
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OF
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3B
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IF
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IF
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