Kowalik, Coffel Second Team All-SEC, Smith on Newcomer Team

Three UK players earn postseason honors

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Kentucky Softball team placed junior catcher Kayla Kowalik and freshman shortstop Erin Coffel on the All-Southeastern Conference’s second team, as voted on by the league coaches in the voting that was announced Tuesday afternoon.

Rylea Smith was voted to the All-Newcomer Team, a collection of second-year student-athletes who did not receive a chance to be on an All-Freshman Team in 2020 due to the shortened season.

Kowalik, a finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year and leading the country in batting average, was placed on the second team for the second All-SEC postseason honor of her career. She was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2019.

Coffel, a finalist for NFCA/Schutt Sports National Freshman of the Year, was also voted to the second team, while also being named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. The Bremen, Indiana, native has set the school’s freshman record with 16 home runs this season and 52 runs batted in.

Smith is currently hitting .328 on the season with 38 hits in 188 at bats, tagging the first three home runs of her career this season, and driving in 16 runs. The St. Louis, Mo., native has five doubles and eight extra-base hits this season.

Bailey Hemphill of Alabama was named the SEC Player of the Year. Arkansas’ Courtney Diefel was named the Coach of the Year and Mary Haff was voted alongside Tennessee’s Ashley Rogers as the Co-Pitchers of the Year.

All-SEC First Team
IF – Braxton Burnside, Arkansas
IF – Hannah Adams, Florida
IF – Charla Echols, Florida
IF – Taylor Pleasants, LSU
IF – Jenna Laird, Missouri
OF – Elissa Brown, Alabama
OF – Alexis Mack, Alabama
OF – Aliyah Andrews, LSU
OF – Kiki Milloy, Tennessee
P – Montana Fouts, Alabama
P – Mary Haff, Arkansas
P – Ashley Rogers, Tennessee
C – Bailey Hemphill, Alabama
DP/UT – Makinzy Herzog, Texas A&M

All-SEC Second Team
IF – Kaylee Tow, Alabama
IF – Danielle Gibson, Arkansas
IF – Erin Coffel, Kentucky
IF – Mackenzie Boesel, South Carolina
IF – Ashley Morgan, Tennessee
OF – Hannah McEwen, Arkansas
OF – Casidy Chaumont, Missouri
OF – Brooke Wilmes, Missouri
OF – Bre Warren, Texas A&M
P – Autumn Storms, Arkansas
P – Shelby Lowe, Auburn
P – Elizabeth Hightower, Florida
C – Kayla Kowalik, Kentucky
DP/UT – Kendyl Lindaman, Florida

All-SEC Newcomer Team
Lexi Kilfoyl, Alabama
Savannah Woodard, Alabama
Jenna Bloom, Arkansas
Maddison Koepke, Auburn
Julia Cottrill, Florida
Sydney Kuma, Georgia
Rylea Smith, Kentucky
Ciara Briggs, LSU
Taylor Pleasants, LSU
Paige Smith, Ole Miss
Paige Cook, Mississippi State
Emma Nichols, Missouri
Jordan Weber, Missouri
Kiki Milloy, Tennessee

All-SEC Freshman
IF – Sydney Cox, Auburn
IF – Erin Coffel, Kentucky
IF – Blaise Biringer, Ole Miss
IF – Jenna Laird, Missouri
IF – Rylen Wiggins, Texas A&M
OF – Makayla Packer, Auburn
OF – Sydney Chambley, Georgia
OF – Jayda Kearney, Georgia
OF – Bre Warren, Texas A&M
P – Shelby Lowe, Auburn
P – Maddie Penta, Auburn
DP/UT – Aynslie Furbush, Ole Miss

SEC All-Defensive Team
P – Shelbi Sunseri, LSU
P – Emma Nichols, Missouri
C – Autumn Gillespie, Ole Miss
1B – Danielle Gibson, Arkansas
2B – Hannah Adams, Florida
SS – Kenzi Maguire, South Carolina
3B – Charla Echols, Florida
LF – Casidy Chaumont, Missouri
CF – Aliyah Andrews, LSU
RF – KB Sides, Alabama
RF – Chloe Malau’ulu, Mississippi State


Player of the Year: Bailey Hemphill, Alabama
Co-Pitchers of the Year: Montana Fouts, Alabama and Mary Haff, Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Pleasants, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Jenna Laird, Missouri
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Cailin Hannon, Tennessee
Coach of the Year: Courtney Deifel, Arkansas