Seven Tigers earn All-MIAA Softball Honors for 2015

Fort Hays State Softball had seven players named to the All-MIAA Team, released on Thursday. All seven earned honorable mention selections, which included Kelsey Kimminau and Paxton Duran at pitcher, Tori Beltz at first base, Amanda Vaupel and Samantha Villarreal in the outfield, and Courtney Dobson and Kylie Strand as utility/non-pitcher. Kimminau earned her first All-MIAA honor as a Tiger. The Aurora, Colo., senior led the team in wins in the regular season, going 13-10 in the circle with a 3.00 ERA. She has also thrown 16 complete games and three shutouts, striking out 72 in 144.2 innings pitched.

Duran earned the second All-MIAA honor of her career. She was named to the All-MIAA Second Team last year. So far this year, she has a 3.21 ERA with an 11-13 record, two shutouts, and 142 strikeouts in a team-high 154.2 innings.

Beltz earned the second All-MIAA of her career at first base. She was also an honorable mention selection in 2013 as a freshman. Beltz leads the Tiger offense with a .323 batting average and 26 extra-base hits (16 doubles, 10 home runs). She has a team-best 42 RBI and has crossed the plate 30 times this year. She has also drawn a team-high 29 walks this year.

Vaupel earned her fourth All-MIAA selection in the outfield. This is the third time she has been given an honorable mention nod and she was a second-team selection in 2013 as a sophomore. So far this year, she has a .258 batting average with 16 extra-base hits (nine doubles, seven home runs), 30 RBI, and 19 runs scored.

Villarreal earned the second All-MIAA honor of her career. Last year, she was an honorable mention selection at utility/non-pitcher. Villarreal ranks second on the team in batting average at .314 with 10 doubles and one home run. She has also produced 19 RBI and 16 runs.

Dobson earned the third All-MIAA honor of her career. The previous two years, she was an honorable mention selection at second base. Making the switch to shortstop halfway through the year, Dobson had several starts at both positions this year. She has a .271 average with eight doubles and 12 RBI. She leads the team in defensive assists with 110.

Strand earned the first All-MIAA honor of her career. Strand started several games at both second base and shortstop this year. So far in 2015, she is hitting .271 with 18 extra-base hits (11 doubles, seven home runs), 23 RBI, and a team-best 35 runs.

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