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Oregon Tech’s Schmidt Selected Pitcher of Year; 6 Owls Earn CCC Honors; Stewart Earns 5th Coach of the Year Award

05.07.2012

Junior pitcher Taylor Schmidt. (photo by Kelly Caleb)

La GRANDE, Ore. – Oregon Tech junior Taylor Schmidt was chosen as the 2012 Cascade Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year. The Medford, Ore., native led the CCC with 25 wins, also tying an Oregon Tech record for wins in a season, versus just four losses and topped all hurlers with 35 appearances (19 starts) and 172 2/3 innings pitched.

Head Softball Coach Greg Stewart. (photo by Kelly Caleb

For the fifth time in his eight seasons leading the Oregon Tech Owls, Greg Stewart was chosen as CCC Coach of the Year by a vote of his peers. The Texas native has now led his team to 39 wins this season and earned back-to-back CCC tournament titles. The Owls are currently ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA coach’s poll and return to the NAIA National Tournament as reigning champions where the Owls look to defend their 2011 NAIA crown.

Joining Schmidt as first-team all-conference selections are Ashleigh Larson, Shauna Collins and Kayde Schaefer. Larson and Collins are two-time selections. Jess Plummer, for the second consecutive season, was an honorable mention all-conference selection, while Schaefer and Larson, for the second-straight season, along with Janelle Cromie and Shauna Collins, earned Gold Glove selections.

2012 All-Cascade Collegiate Conference Softball Team and Honors

Player of the Year: Stephanie Nippert, OF, Jr., Corban

Pitcher of the Year: Taylor Schmidt, Jr., Oregon Tech

Co-Newcomers of the Year: Kate Santos, C, Fr., Concordia; Stephanie Vandenbusch, 3B/SS, Jr., Southern Oregon

Coach of the Year: Greg Stewart, Oregon Tech

Name	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown
Kyndell Andrews	Concordia	Jr.	C	Puyallup, Wash.
Shauna Collins	Oregon Tech	So.	SS	Roseburg, Ore.
Rachel Conard	Corban	Jr.	C	Merlin, Ore.
Brooke Davis	NW Christian	Sr.	P/OF	Sherwood, Ore.
Sam Genskay	Concordia	Sr.	2B	Oregon City, Ore.
Amy Greenough	Corban	Jr.	P	Portland, Ore.
Jordyn Kurtz	Southern Oregon	Sr.	P	Tacoma, Wash.
Ashleigh Larson	Oregon Tech	Sr.	2B	Central Point, Ore.
Molly Mills	College of Idaho	Jr.	OF	Burley, Idaho
Katie Moy	Southern Oregon	Sr.	OF	Oceanside, Calif.
Stephanie Nippert	Corban	Jr.	CF	Rocklin, Calif.
Kate Santos	Concordia	Fr.	C	Gladstone, Ore.
Kayde Schaefer	Oregon Tech	Sr.	C	Beaverton, Ore.
Taylor Schmidt	Oregon Tech	Jr.	P	Medford, Ore.
Nikki Shumway	College of Idaho	Sr.	OF	Boise, Idaho
Nickayla Skinner	College of Idaho	So.	P	Mountain Home, Idaho
Gabby Stover	NW Christian	So.	C	Portland, Ore.
Stephanie Vandenbusch	Southern Oregon	Sr.	SS/3B	Freemont, Calif.

Honorable Mention: Janelle Cromie, Oregon Tech; Sarah Jackson, Eastern Oregon; Laura Luther, Concordia; Jess Plummer, Oregon Tech; Chelsea Schriber, Corban; Julia Wilson, Southern Oregon.

2012 Gold Glove Award Winners

Pitcher: Nickayla Skinner, College of Idaho

Catcher: Kayde Schaeffer, Oregon Tech

First Base: Janelle Cromie, Oregon Tech

Second Base: Ashleigh Larson, Oregon Tech

Shortstop: Shauna Collins, Oregon Tech

Third Base: Megan Mazanec, Northwest Christian

Outfield: Stephanie Nippert, Corban

Outfield: Nikki Shumway, College of Idaho

Outfield: Brittany Chestnut, Corban