Nine Greyhounds Named to 2021 Landmark Softball All-Conference Teams; Wehr, Hummel & Byrne Receive Major Awards
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College softball team has had nine student-athletes earn Landmark Softball All-Conference honors including six First Team honorees with senior catcher Brooke Wehr as the Player of the Year, sophomore pitcher Madison Hummel the Pitcher of the Year, and Head Coach John Byrne honored as the Coach of the Year.
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College softball team has had nine student-athletes earn Landmark Softball All-Conference honors including six First Team honorees with senior catcher Brooke Wehr as the Player of the Year, sophomore pitcher Madison Hummel the Pitcher of the Year, and Head Coach John Byrne honored as the Coach of the Year.
Wehr and Hummel also earned spots on the All-Conference First Team, and they are joined by senior second baseman Shannon Brogan, sophomore shortstop Alexis Agrapides, senior third baseman Maddisen Bieber and junior outfielder Victoria Smith. Senior outfielder Maura Kane, junior utility player Alexandria Scheeler and freshman designated player Emily Silberman were selected to the All-Conference Second Team.
"To be recognized by the Conference Coaches is always a special honor," commented Byrne. "This group of players has worked hard throughout a challenging year to achieve much success, not only for themselves, but also for our team."
Byrne has been selected as the Landmark Conference Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career, and it is his 11th conference Coach of the Year selection. Byrne is in his 28th season at Moravian with a career record of 891-249 while leading the Greyhounds to 26 straight postseason appearances including 17 NCAA Division III Tournament berths.
"John Byrne has already had a decorated career and this season has just added to it," said Director of Athletics & Recreation Mary Beth Spirk. "This Landmark honor for him and his coaching staff is well deserved after dealing with the pandemic for the past two seasons. John and his staff know how to not only win, but also get the most out of their players. This year more than ever they proved that hard work, focus and determination are key ingredients to success. Congratulations to the entire staff for this recognition."
The Greyhounds are currently ranked No. 4 in the nation in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll and 28-0 on the year. Moravian is the top seed in the 2019 Landmark Conference Tournament after a 22-0 regular season mark in conference action, and the Hounds will be hosting the tournament championship series at Blue & Grey Field on Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16.
Wehr, who made the All-Conference First Team as an outfielder in 2018 and as a catcher in 2019, leads Moravian with a .538 batting average to go with 50 hits, 31 runs, 13 doubles, five triples, four homers, 37 RBIs, nine walks, four stolen bases, a .575 on-base percentage and a .914 slugging percentage. Wehr, who is a two-time selection to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region Third Team, also has 127 putouts and eight assists in 136 chances in the field, and she has one pickoff and has thrown out two-of-four stolen base attempts.
"Brooke's consistent play at an elite level in every aspect of the game makes her very deserving of Player of the Year honors," stated Byrne. 'She's an incredible talent and young lady that has a work ethic that is unmatched."
Hummel has posted a 13-0 mark in the circle this year for the Greyhounds, and she has a 0.99 ERA with four shutouts, 11 complete games in 14 starts and 39 strikeouts in 85.0 innings of action.
"Maddie has had a tremendous season in the circle in what amounts to her first full season after only pitching in two games last year before the season was cancelled," noted Byrne. "Her confidence, along with her ability to locate and mix pitches, has led her to much of her success."
Brogan, who was selected to the All-Conference First Team as a designated player in 2019 and to All-Conference Second Team in 2018, is hitting .416 on the year with 37 hits, 21 runs, three doubles, a homer, 21 RBIs, a .443 on-base percentage and a .483 slugging percentage. Brogan, who has also played some at first base in 2021, has 62 putouts and 57 assists in 122 chances in the field.
Agrapides earned her first postseason award, and she has a .417 batting average this spring with 40 hits, 29 runs, seven doubles, a triple, a team-high five homers, 28 RBIs, 12 walks, a .477 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage. Agrapides has added 35 putouts and 82 assists in the field in 122 chances.
Bieber, who was the 2019 Landmark Conference Player of the Year while making the All-Conference First Team, has a .310 average with 26 hits, 30 runs, five doubles, a homer, 15 RBIs, nine walks, a .396 on-base percentage and a .405 slugging percentage this season. Bieber, who made the NFCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team in 2019, has 31 putouts and 46 assists in 81 chances in the field.
Smith is hitting .422 this spring with 35 hits, 19 runs, two doubles, 14 RBIs, a .455 on-base percentage and a .446 slugging percentage. Smith leads the Greyhounds with 14 sacrifice bunts and five stolen bases, and she has added 29 putouts and two assists in 31 chances in right field.
Kane has a .377 batting average in her first year as a starter, and she has contributed 39 hits, 13 runs, three doubles, a triple, 12 RBIs, a .429 on-base percentage and a .442 slugging percentage. Kane has 28 putouts and three assists in 31 chances in left field.
Scheeler, who was the 2019 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year while making the All-Conference Second Team and the NFCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team, is hitting .354 with 28 hits, 22 runs, nine doubles, 17 RBIs, a .422 on-base percentage and a .468 slugging percentage. In the circle, Scheeler is 7-0 with a 2.78 ERA, four complete games, 34 strikeouts and just six walks in 55.1 innings of action. She also has played at first base and has 141 putouts and 24 assists in 166 chances in the field.
Silberman has registered a .564 batting average in her debut season with 22 hits, two runs, two doubles, a homer, 16 RBIs, a .537 on-base percentage and a .692 slugging percentage.
The Hounds are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, May 15 when the squad hosts second seed The University of Scranton in a doubleheader for the Landmark Conference Championships series at Blue & Grey Field in Bethlehem with action slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. If the team's split on Saturday, they will meet again at Blue & Grey Field on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to determine the conference champion that will receive an automatic berth to the 2021 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
To view the entire 2021 Landmark Softball All-Conference Teams, visit https://landmark.prestosports.com/sports/sball/2020-21/releases/17132021-sball-awards.
