OXFORD, Ala. – The Ohio Valley Conference announced during its postseason awards banquet Tuesday that University of Southern Indiana Softball sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) and senior designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) earned All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team honors. Goodin was also named OVC co-Player of the Year on Tuesday evening.
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Goodin paced the Screaming Eagles with a .406 batting average, 15 doubles, six home runs, and 37 RBIs. Her average, doubles, and RBI numbers rank among the top three of the OVC. Her batting average is top 50, and her doubles total is top 20, respectively, in the nation. She was also inside the top ten in the OVC with 85 total bases, a .435 on-base percentage, and a .664 slugging percentage.
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In the conference season, Goodin hit .442 with eight doubles, six home runs, and 30 RBIs. In OVC play, Goodin led the OVC in batting average and RBIs and is top-six in doubles, home runs, on-base percentage (.470), and slugging percentage (.779). She was also first in OVC play with 60 total bases.
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In the rubber game against Tennessee State University on April 23, Goodin led USI to a 5-1 win to clinch a series win against the Tigers. Goodin had a big performance with two home runs and five RBIs. Her multi-home run game was the first by a USI player this season and the fourth such game in Goodin’s USI career. Her last multi-home run game was May 13, 2022, against Lindenwood University. In USI’s 8-7 win in game 2 against Tennessee Tech University on May 6, Goodin had a clutch two-run home run that tied the game 7-7 before USI won in walk-off fashion.
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“Allie has been an irreplaceable part of our offense for her entire career, but this year has been exceptional,” USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle said. “After having to back away from pitching this season, she has embraced her role as our offensive leader.”
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This season, Goodin moved into the top ten in USI Softball’s all-time history with 18 career home runs. She also surpassed 100 career RBIs, sitting just outside the top ten in USI history.
Newman led the pitching rotation with a 15-10 record, 2.32 ERA, 139 strikeouts, and 17 complete games with six shutouts. The right-hander made 22 starts in 26 appearances, totaling 145 innings of work. Newman held opposing batters to a .206 average. Overall, Newman finished the regular season tied for first in the OVC in wins and complete games, alone in first in strikeouts and shutouts, and second in innings pitched and opposing batting average. Her shutout and strikeout totals are top-20 and top-75, respectively, in the nation.
In OVC play, Newman’s 10 OVC wins were first in the league along with her 95.1 innings pitched, 83 strikeouts, 14 starts, and 13 complete games. Her three OVC shutouts tied for first in conference-only action.
During the season, Newman posted two one-hit shutouts during the non-conference season and had three starts with 10 or more strikeouts. Plus, she had a dominant stretch between March 7-12 when USI competed at The Spring Games in Florida. Newman went 4-0, and all four victories and starts during that week were complete games. Newman struck out 31 batters in 28 innings pitched, and she struck out nine in two of the four starts.
“Josie has been a workhorse for us this season, displaying a strong presence on the mound and her great ability to control her pitches,” Kunkle commented. “After tearing her ACL at the NCAA II World Series last May, she put the work in to come back stronger.”
This season, Newman moved into the top eight in USI Softball’s all-time history with 324 career strikeouts and inside the top ten with 12 career shutouts. She sits just outside the top eight with 32 career wins.
Newman was named to the OVC’s Preseason Players to Watch List before the 2023 season started. Newman also earned OVC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, most recently on April 3 and in consecutive weeks on March 13 and 20. The last two honors came after series wins in OVC play against Lindenwood and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Following the USI Softball program’s first season in the Ohio Valley Conference and as an NCAA Division I program, Goodin and Newman are the first-ever USI Softball players to earn All-OVC accolades, and Goodin is the first to win OVC Player of the Year laurels.
“Both Allie and Josie have done a great job this year, having successful seasons while adjusting to the challenges and the new opponents from the transition to the D-I level,” Kunkle added.
USI Softball begins tournament play Wednesday at the 2023 OVC Softball Championship. The Screaming Eagles are the No. 3 seed after going 20-21 overall and 13-9 in the conference season. USI gets a first-round bye and will play Wednesday at 3 p.m., awaiting the winner of the 6/7 matchup between Tennessee State and Lindenwood on Wednesday morning.
