Softball

MVC Announces All-Time Softball Team

In 2006-07, the Missouri Valley Conference celebrates a century of excellence as the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference is in its second centennial as a leader in college athletics. As a part of the Centennial Celebration, The Valley is naming all-centennial teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored sports.

 Team composition for each sport has been determined through an on-line fan vote (www.mvc100.org) and by a centennial committee. Nearly 1,000 votes were cast for softball. Fans also designated an all-time coach as part of the on-line voting process. Twenty-two Valley softball players have earned All-American honors in the league’s 24 completed seasons with teams competing in the Gateway Conference from 1983-92 before beginning play under the Valley umbrella in 1993. MVC softball has ascended among the nation’s premier softball leagues, having earned multiple-bids into the NCAA Tournament in each of the past four seasons with three teams capturing berths in the past two years.

 In the league’s first 99 seasons, 32 members combined for 27 national championships, while 55 Valley student-athletes captured NCAA individual titles. In addition, Valley student-athletes and coaches earned 48 National Player or Coach of the Year honors in their respective sports. And the league had a myriad of student-athletes who collected All-America honors and earned national academic distinction in The Valley’s first century.

 Softball (sponsored 1983 to present): Thirteen different programs have sponsored softball in the Gateway/Missouri Valley Conference including Bradley (1983-present), Creighton (1993-present), Drake (1983-present), Eastern Illinois (1983-92), Evansville (1995-present), Illinois State (1983-present), Indiana State (1983-present), Missouri State (1983-present), Northern Iowa (1983-present), Southern Illinois (1983-present), Tulsa (1993-96), Wichita State (1983-present), Western Illinois (1983-92).

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE softball ALL-CENTENNIAL TEAM

Name, Position, School, Notable Honors
  • Robin Chapman, Catcher, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1989, 1990), 1988 Rookie of the Year
  • Shae Wesley, Catcher, Illinois State, 1-time first-team All-MVC (2002), 1-time All-American (2002)
  • Jessica Huff, Catcher, Evansville, 3-time first-team All- (1999, 2000, 2001), 2-time All-Tournament (1998, 2001), MVC Career doubles leader (56), 2-time MVP (2000, 2001)
  • Lisa DaRocha, Catcher, Western Illinois, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1987, 1988), 1987 Player of the Year
  • Aimee DeKeyser, First Base, Drake, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1995, 1996, 1997)
  • Emily Krueger, First Base, Illinois State, 1-time first-team All-MVC (2004), Single season home run leader (18), 1-time AA (2004)
  • Tina DeWeese, First Base, Evansville, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998)
  • Robin Smith, First Base, Illinois State, 1-time first-team All MVC (1991), 1991 Player of the Year
  • Heidi Geier, Second Base, Creighton, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998, 1999), 2-time All-Tournament 1997, 1999), 1-time AA (1999)
  • Kris Cox, Second Base, Drake, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1992, 1993)
  • Connie Fiems, Second Base, Indiana State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1989, 1990)
  • Diedre Shores, Second Base, Missouri State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998), 3-time All-Tournament (1996, 1997, 1998)
  • Jackie Paulus, Second Base, Northern Iowa, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998, 1999), 2-time All-Tournament (1998, 1999)
  • Amy Pera, Shortstop, Bradley, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1994,1995), 2-time All-Tournament (1994, 1995), 1992 ROY
  • Pam Schaffrath, Shortstop, Drake, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1992, 1993)
  • Danielle Tyler, Shortstop, Drake, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1993, 1994, 1995), 2-time All-Tournament(1994, 1995), 1993 ROY
  • Jamie Davison, Shortstop, Evansville, 3-time first-team All-MVC (2001, 2003, 2004)
  • Tina Lewis Shortstop Wichita State 2-time first-team All-MVC (2002, 2003), 2003 Player of the Year
  • Heather Stella, Third Base, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1998, 1999), 2-time MVP (1998, 1999), 2-time AA(1999, 2001), MVC Career RBI leader (157)
  • Barb Gaines, Third Base, Missouri State, 4-time first-team All-MVC (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993), 1992 Co-Player of the Year, 1-time All-American (1993), MVC Career Average Leader (.403)
  • Becky Lis, Third Base, Southern Illinois, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1996, 1997), 2-time All-MVC Tournament team (1996, 1997)
  • Abby Johnson, Utility, Creighton, 3-time first-team All-MVC (2002, 2004, 2005), 2005 Player of the Year
  • Katie Shimon, Utility, Drake, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2003, 2004)
  • Kate Madden, Utility, Missouri State, 1-time first-team All-MVC (1996), MVC Single-season leader in avg (.450), hits (86), runs (60) and stolen bases (37), 1996 MVP
  • Katie Jordan, Utility, Southern Illinois, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2004, 2005), MVC Career home runs leader (39)
  • Melanie Dorsey, Outfield, Creighton, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2004, 2005), 2-time All-Tournament (2004, 2005), 1-time AA (2005)
  • Christy Lunceford, Outfield, Creighton, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1995, 1996, 1997)
  • Stacey Rybar, Outfield, Creighton, 3-time first-team All-MVC (2002, 2003, 2004), 2004 MVP, 1-time AA (2004)
  • Cutie Taylor, Outfield, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2001, 2002), 1-time AA (2002)
  • Priscilla Welch, Outfield, Illinois State, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1995, 1996, 1997), 1994 ROY, 1-time AA (1997)
  • Colleen Holloway, Outfield, Southern Illinois, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1991, 1993), MVC Career runs (159) and triples (34) leader, 1-time AA (1991), 1993 MVP
  • Jody Dean, Outfield, Northern Iowa, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998)
  • Lindsay Wood, Outfield, Northern Iowa, 4-time first-team All-MVC (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), 2-time All-Tournament (2001, 2002), 1-time AA (2002), MVC Career Hits Leader (269), 2002 MVP
  • Patti Oleson Outfield Wichita State 2-time first-team All-MVC (2000, 2001)
  • Beth Hawkins, Pitcher, Bradley, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1984, 1985, 1986), 2-time MVC MVP
  • Tammy Nielsen, Pitcher, Creighton, 3-time first-team All-MVC (2003, 2004, 2005), 3-time MVC Tournament MVP (2003, 2004, 2005), 2-time AA (2004, 2005), MVC Career Strikeouts leader (914), 2004 PiOY
  • Laurie Bowden, Pitcher, Drake, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1990, 1992), 1990 ROY
  • Zam Mogill, Pitcher, Eastern Illinois, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1986, 1987, 1988), 1988 MVP
  • Audra Rast, Pitcher, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2002, 2003), 2-time All-Tournament 2002, 2003), 1-time AA (2002), 2-time PiOY (2002, 2003)
  • Jodi Burch, Pitcher, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1994, 1995), 1995 MVP, 1-time AA (1995)
  • Nicole Kurth, Pitcher, Illinois State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (2000, 2001), 2-time All-Tournament (2000, 2001), Tournament MVP (2000), 1-time AA (2001)
  • Debbie Styx, Pitcher, Indiana State, 1-time first-team All-MVC (1992), 1992 Co-MVP
  • Nora Cagwin, Pitcher, Missouri State, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1997, 1998, 1999), 2-time PiOY (1998, 1999)
  • Jamie Schuttek, Pitcher, Southern Illinois, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1994, 1996, 1997), 2-time All-Tournament (1996, 1997), 1-time AA (1997), 1997 MVP
  • Amy Harre, Pitcher, Southern Illinois, 4-time first-team All-MVC (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), Career wins (84) and shutouts (49), 2005 PiOY, 2002 ROY
  • Erin Stremsterfer, Pitcher, Southern Illinois, 3-time first-team All-MVC (1999, 2000, 2001), 3-time All-Tournament (1998, 2000, 2001), 1-time AA(2001), MVC single-season stikeouts leader (364), 2001 PiOY
  • Patty Bautista, Pitcher, Wichita State, 2-time first-team All-MVC (1987, 1989), Career (103) and single-season (38) record holder for complete games, 1989 MVP
  • Melinda Fischer, Head Coach, Illinois State, 680-466-3 (.594) - record entering this season, Six-time Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year winner (1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2006), Winningest coach in MVC history, Winningest coach in Conference play (293 wins)