On the morning of the opening round of the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship, a pair of Purple Aces were recognized by the league for their seasons.
Eryn Gould was chosen as a member of the All-MVC First Team while Katie McLean picked up the nod on the All-Defensive Team.
The 2018 MVC Freshman of the Year was named a first-team all-conference player for the second time in as many seasons. Gould finished the year with a .298 average while starting all 48 games at catcher, second base and in the outfield. She leads the team with ten home runs, nine doubles, 30 runs and 31 RBI.
For the second time in her career, she earned MVC Player of the Week accolades on April 22; she followed that up with excellent numbers against Indiana State and Valparaiso. Over the previous 14 games, Gould is batting .421 (16-of-38) while raising her average from .247 to .298; she has added four home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs and 12 walks in that span.
“Eryn has had a tremendous year,†Aces head coach Mat Mundell said. “She can do it all offensively. She has speed and power. Defensively, she has played all over the diamond for us and really improved in that aspect of her game.â€
In her first season with the Aces, Katie McLean was named to the league’s All-Defensive squad. She led the team with a .304 average over the course of the 2019 season. The Springfield, Ill. native is second for UE with 38 hits while ranking second with 31 walks and 19 runs scored.
She has started 46 games in the outfield with her top games being perfect 3-for-3 days at the plate against Detroit and Samford. Her defensive prowess helped her to garner the postseason recognition. Coach Mundell praised her efforts.
“Katie has played a great defensive centerfield for us all season,†he added. “She has taken away so many hits from opponents. She gets great reads on the ball and makes plays that do not show up in the box score.â€
At 6:30 p.m., the Aces open up the tournament in Peoria against Valparaiso.
