Six Panthers named All-Conference, Lappe named Player of the Year
5/7/2025 8:34:00 AM | Softball
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) announced its All-Conference Teams and Specialty Awards on Wednesday morning ahead of the 2025 MVC Softball Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.
Third baseman Kate Lappe picked up Missouri Valley Player of the Year honors, the fourth Panther named Player of the Year in the last five seasons, while four Panthers were named to the All-MVC First Team, one to the Second Team, and one to the All-Defensive Team. Kate Lappe, Kylee Sanders, Skylar Benesh, and Addison McElrath were the First Teamers for the Cats while pitcher Anna Wischnowski was named to the Second Team and first baseman Ella Smithson was named to the All-Defensive Team.
Kate Lappe | 3B | MVC Player of the Year / All-MVC First Team
After one of the most dominant seasons at the plate in Panther history, Kate Lappe was named the MVC Player of the Year and to the All-MVC First Team, both for the first time in her career. The Preseason All-MVC Third Baseman has shown dominance and discipline at the plate this season with a Valley-leading .438 batting average, 18 home runs, a .543 on-base percentage, a .912 slugging percentage, and 125 total bases. The junior is second in the league with 0.38 home runs per game, 45 RBIs, and 0.96 RBIs per game. Lappe's .912 slugging percentage is 12th in the nation while her 0.38 home runs per game are 18th. Lappe is just four home runs away from the UNI single-season record set by another MVC Player of the Year Sammy Bunch in 2021. In conference play she led the league in batting with a 0.506 average, a 1.114 slugging percentage, and a .619 on-base percentage. In Valley games, Lappe had a league-best 40 hits, 25 walks, and tied best 13 homers with a second-best 31 RBIs. Lappe was named the MVC Player of the Week twice during the season as well as being named the D1Softball.com National Player of the Week once.
Kylee Sanders | SS | All-MVC First Team
A veteran leader for the Panthers in 2025, Kylee Sanders rounded out her final regular-season of collegiate softball with the nation's fourth-best and Valley-leading 2.72 assists per game mark while her 128 assists are 14th in the nation and second in the Valley. The shortstop also led the MVC with 65 hits and 1.00 runs per game. Sanders was second in the MVC with a .428 batting average and a .524 on-base percentage. Sanders is six hits shy of breaking into the top-three in single-season hits.
Skylar Benesh | 2B | All-MVC First Team
A new addition to the Panther lineup this season, freshman Skylar Benesh has been one of the best in the MVC along the base path with 20 stolen bases and 0.44 stolen bases per game, both the second-best marks in the MVC. Benesh is four stolen bases from tying the UNI single-season record set by Kristi Johnson in 2001 with 24 swipes. Benesh had recorded 48 hits and 39 runs including seven home runs and seven doubles in 162 at-bats.
Addison McElrath | DP | All-MVC First Team
Another veteran presence for the Panthers, Addison McElrath has been dominant at the plate this season with 13 home runs, the second-most on the Panther squad and fourth-most in the league. In the DP spot, McElrath has recorded a .342 average and .678 slugging percentage with 52 hits and 26 runs in 152 at-bats.
Anna Wischnowski | P | All-MVC Second Team
Coming into the 2025 season as UNI's ace pitcher, Anna Wischnowski made 24 appearances in the circle with 17 starts. Wischnowski tallied a 15-6 record including 11 complete games over the regular season with 129.2 innings pitched. Striking out 87 batters, the redshirt-junior allowed just 149 hits and 48 earned runs for a UNI-leading 2.59 ERA.
Ella Smithson | 1B | MVC All-Defensive Team
Another new face in the field for the Panthers, freshman Ella Smithson played 35 games at first base for the Cats in the 2025 regular season. After taking the reins from one of the top first basemen in Panther history, Smithson has been responsible for 254 putouts and three assists with just three errors for a .988 fielding percentage. The freshman has also recorded three home runs and 16 RBIs with 20 hits.
The Panthers continue action in the 2025 MVC Softball Tournament. UNI picked up the three seed and will compete on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. CT against the winner of the 6/11 game between the Indiana State Sycamores and the Evansville Purple Aces.
Most Valuable Player: Kate Lappe, UNI
Most Valuable Pitcher: Maya Johnson, Belmont
Defensive Player of the Year: Anna Carder, Southern Illinois
Newcomer of the Year: Emily Williams, Southern Illinois
Freshman of the Year: Rylee Spindler, Belmont
Coaching Staff of the Year: Southern Illinois (Jen Sewell, Mary Jo Firnbach, Laurin Watts)
All-MVC First Team
- C Anna Carder, Southern Illinois
- 1B Emma Dighton, Drake
- 1B Abby Knight, Illinois State
- 2B Delainey Bryant, Illinois State
- 2B Skylar Benesh, UNI
- 3B Kate Lappe, UNI
- 3B Rylee Spindler, Belmont
- SS Kylee Sanders, UNI
- SS Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
- OF Emma Austin, Southern Illinois
- OF Mikaela Coburn, Southern Illinois
- OF Katy Huels, Murray State
- P Maya Johnson, Belmont
- P McKenzie Newcomb, Southern Illinois
- DP/UT Addison McElrath, UNI
- DP/UT Emily Williams, Southern Illinois
- DP/P McKenzie Vaughan, Missouri State
All-MVC Second Team
- C Niki Bode, Evansville
- C Alexis Perales, Missouri State
- 1B Addi Baker, Southern Illinois
- 2B Kenley Minor, Murray State
- 3B Ashley Breeding, Bradley
- SS Nicole Hughes, Belmont
- OF Maddy Balsiger, Belmont
- OF Ava Curry, Drake
- OF Baie Ensio, Belmont
- OF Morgan Goodrich, Indiana State
- OF Kierston McCoy, Bradley
- P Hailey Griffin, Indiana State
- P Hannah Meshnick, Illinois State
- P Anna Wischnowski, UNI
- DP/UT Sami Miller, Drake
- DP/P Sydney Kennedy, Bradley
- DP/P Azalya Lopez, Valparaiso
MVC All-Defensive Team
- Brenna Blume, Belmont
- Addie Welsh, Bradley
- Emma Dighton, Drake
- Taylor Howe, Evansville
- Sequoia Sanchez, UIC
- Julia Larson, Illinois State
- Lauren Marsicek, Indiana State
- Emily Gerardy, Missouri State
- Bailey Broemmer, Murray State
- Ella Smithson, UNI
- Anna Carder, Southern Illinois
- Kim Rodas, Valparaiso
UNI softball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Softball), X (@UNISoftball), and on Instagram (@unisoftball). The 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
