EKU Totals 14 Selections to Postseason Honors
ATLANTA – To cap an incredible regular season, the Eastern Kentucky University softball team has eight members named to the 14 ASUN Softball Postseason Honors including Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and four First Team All-ASUN picks, announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Senior outfielder Jeanay Riley takes home two of the superlative awards earning the 2024 ASUN Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Louisville, Kentucky native was also named First Team All-ASUN and to the Academic All-ASUN team. Over 48 games this season, Riley has a .378 batting average and a team-leading 62 hits, 14 doubles, 40 RBIs, 100 total bases, and a .610 slugging percentage. She led the ASUN Conference in hits, runs, RBIs, OPS, doubles, and was third in batting average.
Riley is just the fourth player in program history to be chosen as the conference player of the year. She joins Paige Murphy (2018), Diana Barreras (2004), Kim Sarrazin (2000), and Kelly Swanson (1998) as the program’s all-time honorees.
Freshman two-way player Maddi Rutan caps her regular season being named the 2024 ASUN Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year. The Columbus, Indiana product was also named First Team All-ASUN and to the ASUN All-Freshman Team. Rutan ended the regular season with a 23-4 overall record with a 1.93 ERA and 144 strikeouts. In conference play, Rutan was 12-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 81 strikeouts. This season, she threw one perfect game, had a career-high 13 strikeouts against Kennesaw State at home, and had a power-5 victory over Louisville.
She’s the third pitcher of the year in program history, joining 2x OVC Pitcher of the Year Jonelle Csora (2002, 2003) as the program’s all-time honorees.
Additionally, head softball coach Jane Worthington has been named the 2024 ASUN Coach of the Year, leading the program to a 40-8 overall record, a 21-3 mark in ASUN play, a regular season championship for just the fourth time in program history, and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament this weekend. EKU was picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches’ poll.
Monday’s honor is the fourth coach of the year award (2002, 2004, 2018, 2024) for Worthington in her 32 seasons at the helm. She’s led the program to 906 wins, four conference titles, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA tournament appearances, 133 all-conference selections, and one all-American during her time in Richmond.
Jaelin Haynes and Madison Scott join Riley and Rutan on First Team All-ASUN. Vianna Barron claims a spot on the Second Team All-ASUN, her second career postseason conference award. While Rutan, Kennedy Drafton, and Makayla Mathis earn spots on the ASUN All-Freshman Team.
EKU (40-8, 21-3 ASUN) returns to action as the No. 1 seed and outright regular season champions on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. EST against a to-be-determined opponent in the 2024 ASUN Championship. The Colonels earned a double bye in the field.
2024 ASUN Softball Postseason Honors
Player of the Year: Jeanay Riley, EKU
Defensive Player of the Year: Kylie Griffin, Central Arkansas
Pitcher of the Year: Maddi Rutan, EKU
Freshman of the Year: Maddi Rutan, EKU
Coach of the Year: Jane Worthington, EKU
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jeanay Riley, EKU
First Team All-ASUN
P Maddi Rutan, EKU
P Alivia Wilken, North Alabama
C Neely Peterson, FGCU
IF Kylie Campbell, Austin Peay**
IF Kylie Griffin, Central Arkansas
IF Madison Scott, EKU
IF Haven Kirby, North Alabama
OF Tremere Harris, Central Arkansas***
OF Jaelin Haynes, EKU
OF Jeanay Riley, EKU
UT Allison Benning, North Florida
Second Team All-ASUN
P Angelina Bonilla, FGCU**
P Allison Benning, North Florida
P Autumn Courtney, Queens**
C Lath Freeman, Stetson
IF Briley Dover, North Alabama
IF Hadlee Reichert, North Florida
IF Kayla Smith, Queens
IF Addison Foster, Stetson
OF Avery Viancos, FGCU
OF Felicity Frame, North Alabama
OF Kami Eppley, Stetson**
UT Vianna Barron, EKU**
Third Team All-ASUN
P Jordan Benefield, Austin Peay
P Allison Sparkman, FGCU
P Halle Arends, North Florida**
C Averi Harcus, Jacksonville
IF Morgan Nelson, Central Arkansas**
IF Nikki Gibson, FGCU
IF Josey Polk, Lipscomb
IF Hailey Jones, North Alabama**
OF Brie Howard, Austin Peay
OF Riley Oakes, FGCU
OF Shannon Glover, North Florida
UT Madelyn Synoracki, Stetson
* denotes the number of career All-ASUN selections
Note – ties in voting resulted in 12-person All-ASUN Second & Third Teams
All-Freshman Team
^Maddi Rutan, EKU
^Brie Howard, Austin Peay
^Allison Sparkman, FGCU
^Briley Dover, North Alabama
^Addison Foster, Stetson
Renee Christian, Central Arkansas
Kennedy Drafton, EKU
Makayla Mathis, EKU
Skylar Waggoner, Jacksonville
Alyssa Hastings, Lipscomb
Madelyn Synoracki, Stetson
^ denotes a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team
Academic All-ASUN Team
Jeanay Riley, EKU
Claire Lehmkuhler, Bellarmine
Kylie Griffin, Central Arkansas**
Morgan Nelson, Central Arkansas
Olivia Black, FGCU
Avery Viancos, FGCU
Alison Carter, Jacksonville
Melanie Bennett, Kennesaw State
Sidney Bevis, North Alabama
Hailey Jones, North Alabama
Kayla Smith, Queens
* denotes the number of career Academic All-ASUN selections
