Four Redhawks Secure 2026 All-OVC Honors
5/5/2026 10:00:00 AM | Softball
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Four Southeast Missouri players earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for the 2026 season Tuesday.
Infielder Aubrie Shore and catcher Raigan Brannon secured First-Team honors, outfielder Madison Winkler claimed Second-Team accolades and freshman outfielder Lily Delmain was named to the league's All-Newcomer Team.
A native of Mahomet, Illinois, Shore took OVC first-team honors for the second time in her career. After missing all of last season with a back injury, she is hitting .322 with 39 hits, five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 26 RBI. Shore ranks third on the team in batting average and hits, second in home runs and is tied for first in RBI.
Brannon, who hails from Mansfield, Texas, was also named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team in her first year with the Redhawks. A transfer from Lamar University, Brannon is presently on a 13-game hitting streak, the longest of any SEMO player this season. She leads the team with six home runs and eight doubles, and is tied for first with 26 RBI. Overall, Brannon is hitting .306 and boasts a team-high .541 slugging percentage. She finished with multiple-hits in six-straight games and has seen her batting average increase 112 points (from .194 to .306) during her current hitting streak.
Winkler, who is from Crofton, Kentucky, garners All-OVC laurels for the second-straight season. She is the Redhawks leading hitter with a .350 batting average. Winkler tops SEMO in runs scored (26), hits (50), RBI (26), total bases (67) and stolen bases (10), as well.
A native of Cedar Hill, Missouri, Delmain has the highest batting average of any freshman on the team this year. She is hitting .287 with 19 runs scored, 25 hits, two doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI through 30 starts. In addition, Delmain ranks second on the team with seven stolen bases.
In conference play alone, Brannon and Shore hit .406 and .405, respectively, while Winkler and Delmain hit .325 and .303.
Eastern Illinois infielder Lizzie Stiverson was tabbed OVC Player of the Year, SIU Edwardsville's Avery Arwood was voted Pitcher of the Year, Southern Indiana's Katelyn Marx was named the league's Freshman of the Year and EIU's Kristi and Dan Paulson garnered OVC Coach of the Year.
#5 SEMO opens play against #8 Western Illinois in the first round of the OVC Tournament Wednesday. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m., CT at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois.
2026 All-Ohio Valley Conference Softball Teams
2026 OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
2026 OVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Avery Arwood, SIUE
2026 OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Katelyn Marx, Southern Indiana
2026 OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kristi & Dan Paulson , Eastern Illinois
FIRST TEAM
P – Avery Arwood, SIUE
P – Natalie Krueziger, UT Martin
C – Sophia Olman, Eastern Illinois
IF – Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
IF – Aubrie Shore, Southeast Missouri
IF – Jace Jackson, Tennessee State
IF – Ruby Tarr, Western Illinois
OF – Alisha Frederick, Eastern Illinois
OF – Kylee Crowder, Lindenwood
OF – Carly Ward, UT Martin
DP – Sofia Carroll, Tennessee Tech
UTIL – Payton Brown, Western Illinois
At-Large – Bryanna French, Eastern Illinois
At-Large – Raigan Brannon, Southeast Missouri
SECOND TEAM
P – Rylan Gick, Eastern Illinois
P – Payton Harris, UT Martin
C – Avary Makarewicz, UT Martin
IF – Tori Hatton, Lindenwood
IF – Anna Sanders, Lindenwood
IF – Raegan Duncan, SIUE
IF – Jailynn Paderez, Tennessee Tech
OF – Madison Winkler, Southeast Missouri
OF – Gretchen Trello, SIUE
OF – Caroline Stapleton, Southern Indiana
DP – Emily Geary, Lindenwood
UTIL – Abbee Klinefelter, Tennessee Tech
At-Large – Noemye Letendre, Morehead State
At-Large – Ashley Capelouto, Tennessee Tech
ALL-NEWCOMER
Rylan Gick, Eastern Illinois
Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
Chloe Wamboldt, Eastern Illinois
Ava Risum, Lindenwood
Noemye Letendre, Morehead State
Ainsley Stubbs, Morehead State
Raigan Brannon, Southeast Missouri
Lily Delmain, Southeast Missouri
Katelyn Marx, Southern Indiana
Elly Robbins, Southern Indiana
Karena Recrosio, UT Martin
Sami Scholtz, UT Martin
Infielder Aubrie Shore and catcher Raigan Brannon secured First-Team honors, outfielder Madison Winkler claimed Second-Team accolades and freshman outfielder Lily Delmain was named to the league's All-Newcomer Team.
A native of Mahomet, Illinois, Shore took OVC first-team honors for the second time in her career. After missing all of last season with a back injury, she is hitting .322 with 39 hits, five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 26 RBI. Shore ranks third on the team in batting average and hits, second in home runs and is tied for first in RBI.
Brannon, who hails from Mansfield, Texas, was also named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team in her first year with the Redhawks. A transfer from Lamar University, Brannon is presently on a 13-game hitting streak, the longest of any SEMO player this season. She leads the team with six home runs and eight doubles, and is tied for first with 26 RBI. Overall, Brannon is hitting .306 and boasts a team-high .541 slugging percentage. She finished with multiple-hits in six-straight games and has seen her batting average increase 112 points (from .194 to .306) during her current hitting streak.
Winkler, who is from Crofton, Kentucky, garners All-OVC laurels for the second-straight season. She is the Redhawks leading hitter with a .350 batting average. Winkler tops SEMO in runs scored (26), hits (50), RBI (26), total bases (67) and stolen bases (10), as well.
A native of Cedar Hill, Missouri, Delmain has the highest batting average of any freshman on the team this year. She is hitting .287 with 19 runs scored, 25 hits, two doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI through 30 starts. In addition, Delmain ranks second on the team with seven stolen bases.
In conference play alone, Brannon and Shore hit .406 and .405, respectively, while Winkler and Delmain hit .325 and .303.
Eastern Illinois infielder Lizzie Stiverson was tabbed OVC Player of the Year, SIU Edwardsville's Avery Arwood was voted Pitcher of the Year, Southern Indiana's Katelyn Marx was named the league's Freshman of the Year and EIU's Kristi and Dan Paulson garnered OVC Coach of the Year.
#5 SEMO opens play against #8 Western Illinois in the first round of the OVC Tournament Wednesday. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m., CT at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois.
2026 All-Ohio Valley Conference Softball Teams
2026 OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
2026 OVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Avery Arwood, SIUE
2026 OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Katelyn Marx, Southern Indiana
2026 OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kristi & Dan Paulson , Eastern Illinois
FIRST TEAM
P – Avery Arwood, SIUE
P – Natalie Krueziger, UT Martin
C – Sophia Olman, Eastern Illinois
IF – Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
IF – Aubrie Shore, Southeast Missouri
IF – Jace Jackson, Tennessee State
IF – Ruby Tarr, Western Illinois
OF – Alisha Frederick, Eastern Illinois
OF – Kylee Crowder, Lindenwood
OF – Carly Ward, UT Martin
DP – Sofia Carroll, Tennessee Tech
UTIL – Payton Brown, Western Illinois
At-Large – Bryanna French, Eastern Illinois
At-Large – Raigan Brannon, Southeast Missouri
SECOND TEAM
P – Rylan Gick, Eastern Illinois
P – Payton Harris, UT Martin
C – Avary Makarewicz, UT Martin
IF – Tori Hatton, Lindenwood
IF – Anna Sanders, Lindenwood
IF – Raegan Duncan, SIUE
IF – Jailynn Paderez, Tennessee Tech
OF – Madison Winkler, Southeast Missouri
OF – Gretchen Trello, SIUE
OF – Caroline Stapleton, Southern Indiana
DP – Emily Geary, Lindenwood
UTIL – Abbee Klinefelter, Tennessee Tech
At-Large – Noemye Letendre, Morehead State
At-Large – Ashley Capelouto, Tennessee Tech
ALL-NEWCOMER
Rylan Gick, Eastern Illinois
Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois
Chloe Wamboldt, Eastern Illinois
Ava Risum, Lindenwood
Noemye Letendre, Morehead State
Ainsley Stubbs, Morehead State
Raigan Brannon, Southeast Missouri
Lily Delmain, Southeast Missouri
Katelyn Marx, Southern Indiana
Elly Robbins, Southern Indiana
Karena Recrosio, UT Martin
Sami Scholtz, UT Martin
Players Mentioned
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C/INF
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OF
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