University of St. Thomas Athletics
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Tommie Softball earns nine Summit League end of season honors
5/6/2025 10:30:00 AM | Softball
Two Individual awards, five First Team selections, one Second Team selection, and one Honorable Mention
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Summit League Champion St. Thomas Softball team cleaned up in the post regular season awards voted on by the league's coaches with nine different honors. Coach Jen Trotter won conference Coach of the Year, Ava Kleinfeldt took away Freshman of the Year, and five different players were named First Team All-Summit, one picked up a spot on the Second Team, and one was given an Honorable Mention.
Coach of the Year – Jen Trotter
Freshman of the Year – Ava Kleinfeldt
First Team All-Summit
Pitcher – Ava Kleinfeldt
Infielder – Laken Lienhard
Outfielder – Kaitlyn Raymond
Outfielder – Avery Wukawitz
DP/Utility – Ella Cook
Second Team All-Summit
Infielder – Abbi Stierlen
Honorable Mention All-Summit
Catcher – Kameron Monson
Coach Trotter marched her team to the top of the Summit League with an outstanding 14-4 record in her fourth year at the helm. Her team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches' poll but came away with a share of the regular season title. Her team's +69 run differential in conference play was the best in the Summit and the Tommies were the only team to win all six conference series. St. Thomas won series against Omaha, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State for the first time in program history. The Tommies' final RPI ranking of the regular season was #95 and it peaked at #83, up from #237 at the end of last season.
Ava Kleinfeldt was voted Freshman of the Year for her stellar 7-0 performance pitching in conference this season. She is the third Tommie to be named Freshman of the Year (Brooke Ellestad, 22' and Avery Wukawitz, 23') in four seasons in the Summit League. She was also named to the Summit League First-Team, the first pitcher in program history to do so. Ava pitched to a perfect conference record of 7-0 in nine starts. She went 50.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA, the second lowest in the Summit League. She worked seven complete games and held batters to a .253 batting average against. She kept the ball in the yard all season and allowed just 11 extra base hits with no home runs. She struck out 23 batters and walked only 10. The freshman tossed two complete game shutouts against Omaha and South Dakota State.
Ella Cook was also named to the All-Summit First Team as a designated player but was deserving in the pitching category as well. Cook was the best two-way player in the conference with immense value added in the circle and with the bat. She worked 42.1 innings across five starts and nine appearances in conference play with a stellar 1.82 earned run average and .199 batting average against. She racked up 21 strikeouts against 15 walks and recorded a 1.07 WHIP. She also slashed .311/.373/.492 in 61 at-bats while batting cleanup. Cook tallied 19 hits, and 12 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, 30 total bases and 15 RBI.
Laken Lienhard received a spot on the First Team for the second consecutive year. She started and played in all 18 games at shortstop and slashed .412/.551/.843 to lead the Tommies with a program-record 1.394 OPS in conference play. She recorded 21 hits and 18 runs scored with 14 walks. She led the Tommies in doubles (7), was second in home runs (5) and finished the conference schedule with 43 total bases and 10 RBI from the leadoff spot. She worked 14 walks and struck out just four times. She also fielded her position with a .973 fielding percentage.
Avery Wukawitz landed a spot on the First Team for the third year running, the only Tommie in program history to do so. Avery led the Tommies with a .443 batting average and finished second only to Lienhard with a .500 on-base percentage and .836 slugging percentage. She led the way with 27 hits, six home runs, 51 total bases, 21 RBI, 19 runs scored and eight stolen bases in conference play. She was the best offensive player on the Champions of the league this season.
Kaitlyn Raymond landed a spot on the First Team for the second season in a row. Kaitlyn slashed .333/.419/.392 in 18 games started in left field during the conference season. She crossed home 12 times after reaching base on 17 hits and nine walks in 51 at-bats. She stole two bases and tallied 20 total bases. She did not commit an error in 13 total chances in left field during the conference season. She leaves the St. Thomas program as the all-time leader in games started (200).
Abbi Stierlen landed a spot on an All-Conference Team for the first time in her career with a Second Team honor. She took a massive step forward this season and smashed in conference play with a .440/.517/.520 slashline in 18 starts at first base. She added 22 hits and nine walks in 50 at-bats. She led the Summit League with 154 total chances and converted with a .994 fielding percentage.
Kameron Monson also picked up a career-first honor as an All-Summit League Honorable Mention. She played in all 18 and started in 17 conference games behind the plate this season. She controlled a pitching staff that went 14-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 119 innings pitched. She committed one error on 77 chances for a .987 fielding percentage. She slashed .333/.396/.479 with 16 hits, two doubles, one triple, and one home run. She came around to score six times and tallied 23 total bases and 14 RBI.
Coach of the Year – Jen Trotter
Freshman of the Year – Ava Kleinfeldt
First Team All-Summit
Pitcher – Ava Kleinfeldt
Infielder – Laken Lienhard
Outfielder – Kaitlyn Raymond
Outfielder – Avery Wukawitz
DP/Utility – Ella Cook
Second Team All-Summit
Infielder – Abbi Stierlen
Honorable Mention All-Summit
Catcher – Kameron Monson
Coach Trotter marched her team to the top of the Summit League with an outstanding 14-4 record in her fourth year at the helm. Her team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches' poll but came away with a share of the regular season title. Her team's +69 run differential in conference play was the best in the Summit and the Tommies were the only team to win all six conference series. St. Thomas won series against Omaha, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State for the first time in program history. The Tommies' final RPI ranking of the regular season was #95 and it peaked at #83, up from #237 at the end of last season.
Ava Kleinfeldt was voted Freshman of the Year for her stellar 7-0 performance pitching in conference this season. She is the third Tommie to be named Freshman of the Year (Brooke Ellestad, 22' and Avery Wukawitz, 23') in four seasons in the Summit League. She was also named to the Summit League First-Team, the first pitcher in program history to do so. Ava pitched to a perfect conference record of 7-0 in nine starts. She went 50.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA, the second lowest in the Summit League. She worked seven complete games and held batters to a .253 batting average against. She kept the ball in the yard all season and allowed just 11 extra base hits with no home runs. She struck out 23 batters and walked only 10. The freshman tossed two complete game shutouts against Omaha and South Dakota State.
Ella Cook was also named to the All-Summit First Team as a designated player but was deserving in the pitching category as well. Cook was the best two-way player in the conference with immense value added in the circle and with the bat. She worked 42.1 innings across five starts and nine appearances in conference play with a stellar 1.82 earned run average and .199 batting average against. She racked up 21 strikeouts against 15 walks and recorded a 1.07 WHIP. She also slashed .311/.373/.492 in 61 at-bats while batting cleanup. Cook tallied 19 hits, and 12 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, 30 total bases and 15 RBI.
Laken Lienhard received a spot on the First Team for the second consecutive year. She started and played in all 18 games at shortstop and slashed .412/.551/.843 to lead the Tommies with a program-record 1.394 OPS in conference play. She recorded 21 hits and 18 runs scored with 14 walks. She led the Tommies in doubles (7), was second in home runs (5) and finished the conference schedule with 43 total bases and 10 RBI from the leadoff spot. She worked 14 walks and struck out just four times. She also fielded her position with a .973 fielding percentage.
Avery Wukawitz landed a spot on the First Team for the third year running, the only Tommie in program history to do so. Avery led the Tommies with a .443 batting average and finished second only to Lienhard with a .500 on-base percentage and .836 slugging percentage. She led the way with 27 hits, six home runs, 51 total bases, 21 RBI, 19 runs scored and eight stolen bases in conference play. She was the best offensive player on the Champions of the league this season.
Kaitlyn Raymond landed a spot on the First Team for the second season in a row. Kaitlyn slashed .333/.419/.392 in 18 games started in left field during the conference season. She crossed home 12 times after reaching base on 17 hits and nine walks in 51 at-bats. She stole two bases and tallied 20 total bases. She did not commit an error in 13 total chances in left field during the conference season. She leaves the St. Thomas program as the all-time leader in games started (200).
Abbi Stierlen landed a spot on an All-Conference Team for the first time in her career with a Second Team honor. She took a massive step forward this season and smashed in conference play with a .440/.517/.520 slashline in 18 starts at first base. She added 22 hits and nine walks in 50 at-bats. She led the Summit League with 154 total chances and converted with a .994 fielding percentage.
Kameron Monson also picked up a career-first honor as an All-Summit League Honorable Mention. She played in all 18 and started in 17 conference games behind the plate this season. She controlled a pitching staff that went 14-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 119 innings pitched. She committed one error on 77 chances for a .987 fielding percentage. She slashed .333/.396/.479 with 16 hits, two doubles, one triple, and one home run. She came around to score six times and tallied 23 total bases and 14 RBI.
Players Mentioned
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