Williams and Wallis Among 10 Drovers to Earn Sooner Athletic Conference Honors
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Wednesday, the Sooner Athletic Conference announced their annual softball awards, and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma was very well represented. Head Coach Jadyn Wallis was tabbed as the conference's coach of the year for the fifth time in her career, and Sophie Williams earned her third consecutive Pitcher of the Year award. It also marks the eighth year in a row that a Drover has claimed the award given to the conference's best pitcher, with Emily Cerny winning five of the awards followed by Williams' trio.
Furthermore, nine players earned spots on the All-Conference teams, and Malea McMurtrey claimed her third consecutive Gold Glove Award at shortstop.
COACH OF THE YEAR: JADYN WALLIS
Thus far through the 2025 season, Coach Wallis has led the Drovers to a 47-7 record, as well as the SAC regular season championship and the SAC Tournament championship. USAO's success has not come easy this season, as they have faced one of the most difficult schedules in the country. The Drovers have played 14 games against opponents that are ranked in the top 25 poll and has put together an 8-6 record in those high-quality matchups. USAO has gone head-to-head with all four of the other teams in the top five, with wins against No. 3 Cumberlands and No. 5 OLLU, and loses against No. 2 Oregon tech and No. 4 Southern Oregon. The Drovers also own a 3-2 advantage against No. 7 Oklahoma City this season and split a double-header against No. 10 Northwestern (Iowa). USAO also owns wins against No. 16 Missouri Baptist and No. 20 Hope International (Calif.). With USAO's success this season, they have climbed to the top spot in the NAIA and are very likely to be the top overall seed in this year's national tournament.
The SAC Coach of the Year award is the fifth of Wallis' career (17', 18', 19', 20', 25'). In her 13 years at the helm for USAO, Wallis has produced a 556-157 record (.780), along with the 2018 NAIA National Championship, two SAC regular season crowns, and five SAC Tournament titles. After winning the national championship in 2018, she was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Under her direction, the program has produced three NAIA Pitcher of the Year awards, one NAIA National Championship MVP, three SAC Player of the Year award winners, nine SAC Pitcher of the Year award winners, 105 All-SAC selections, and 19 NAIA All-Americans.
Wallis has guided the Drovers to the NAIA national tournament nine times, including five NAIA World Series appearances. Following the national championship in 2018, the Drovers have claimed third place at the World Series in three of the last five seasons, excluding 2020 due to COVID (2019, 2022, 2024).
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: SOPHIE WILLIAMS
Sophie Williams continues the line of dominant Drover pitchers, extending the streak to eight years in a row that USAO has been the home of the SAC Pitcher of the Year. Williams has earned the award in each of the last three seasons, following a five-year reign by Emily Cerny. In total, a Drover has claimed the SAC's top honor for a pitcher on 11 different occasions in program history.
This season, Williams has produced an incredible 25-4 record, along with a 1.27 earned run average and 188 strikeouts in 176.2 innings of work. In 2025, she has earned five of her 16 career SAC Pitcher of the Week awards, in addition to one of her four NAIA Pitcher of the Week honors.
In her career, Williams owns an 96-23 record and a 1.32 ERA with 917 strikeouts in 747.2 innings of work. She has tossed 40 shutouts, five no-hitters, and seven perfect games since the start of the 2022 season, which is currently tied for the NAIA record for the most perfect performances in a career. She has earned three NAIA All-American selections, four First Team All-SAC nods, and 16 SAC Pitcher of the Week awards.
FIRST TEAM ALL-SAC: (7 PLAYERS)
SOPHIE WILLIAMS has produced an incredible 25-4 record, along with a 1.27 earned run average and 188 strikeouts in 176.2 innings of work. In 2025, she has earned five of her 16 career SAC Pitcher of the Week awards, in addition to one of her four NAIA Pitcher of the Week honors. The Drovers ace currently leads the Sooner Athletic Conference in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts.
LEIGHANNE EATON earns her second consecutive First Team All-SAC selection after producing a .340 batting average with 50 hits, 10 doubles, six home runs, 29 runs scored, and 42 runs batted in. She was also nearly perfect defensively as USAO's starting catcher. Eaton produced a .997 fielding percentage on 297 total chances. In the first week of the season, Eaton was awarded as the SAC Player of the Week.
In her two years as a Drover, the Chickasha native owns a .333 career batting average that includes 107 hits, 29 doubles, 16 homers, 69 runs scored, and 88 runs batted in.
MALEA MCMURTREY claims her third consecutive First Team All-SAC selection after producing an incredible .459 batting average that includes 72 hits, a double, five triples, a home run, 59 runs scored, 28 runs batted in, and 29 stolen bases.
In her three years at USAO, McMurtrey owns a .407 batting average with 206 hits, 12 doubles, 11 triples, a longball, 171 runs scored, 95 runs batted in, and 92 stolen bases. In the program record book, McMurtrey is tied for second in career runs scored (171), and third in career batting average (.407), triples (11), and stolen bases (92).
KINZIE WILLIAMS earns her first selections on the First Team All-SAC after recording a remarkable .456 batting average with 83 hits, seven doubles, three triples, a home run, 50 runs scored, 37 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases.
In her two years at USAO, the sophomore has appeared in 96 games and has produced a .460 batting average with 108 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, a homer, 81 runs scored, 43 RBIs, and she has stolen 41 bases.
SIERRA SELFRIDGE was selected to the First Team All-SAC for the fourth season in a row, tallying a .442 batting average with 76 hits, 18 doubles, 16 home runs, 35 runs scored, and a new program record of 80 runs batted in. Her 16 homers are the second most in a single season in program history. This season, she was selected as the SAC Player of the Week on two occasions. She currently ranks second in the NAIA in runs batted in (80), as well as tied for fourth in home runs (16).
In her historic career at USAO, Selfridge has appeared in 227 games, recording a .396 batting average with 271 hits, 63 doubles, eight triples, 34 home runs, 147 runs scored, 221 runs batted in, and 25 stolen bases. She is USAO's career leader in doubles and runs batted in, while ranking second in hits and games played, third in home runs, and fourth in at bats and runs scored. A year ago, she claimed her first NAIA All-American selection and it is safe to assume she will earn that recognition again this year.
SHAYLANN GRACE was a constant force to be reconned with for opposing pitchers this season, producing a superb .416 batting average with 57 hits, 15 doubles, eight home runs, 22 runs scored, and 41 runs batted in. Furthermore, she drew 11 walks and was hit by 16 pitches, elevating her on base percentage to a staggering .506, which leads the team. She also provided terrific defense at first base, recording a .990 fielding percentage on 196 total chances.
In her two years at USAO, Grace owns a .347 batting average with 76 hits, 18 doubles, 12 home runs, 41 runs scored, and 59 RBIs. In total, she has drawn 25 walks and has been hit by 30 pitches for a .471 on base percentage.
JAYDEN ANDERSON was once again lights-out for the Drovers in the circle as a sophomore, producing an 11-3 record, along with a 1.85 earned run average and she has struck out 56 batters in 83.1 innings of work. She currently ranks third in the SAC in earned run average, as well as sixth in wins.
The All-SAC selection is the second of her short time at USAO, following a second team selection in 2024 as a freshman. In 45 career appearances, she owns a 26-5 record with a 1.78 ERA and she has struck out 172 batters in 200.2 innings.
SECOND TEAM: (1 PLAYER)
JADYN GOUCHER was tabbed as an All-SAC honoree for the third year in a row, recording a .338 batting average with 45 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, eight homers, 35 runs scored, 35 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. She was also incredible defensively at second base with a .970 fielding percentage on 167 total chances.
In her three years at USAO, she had produced a .329 batting average with 137 hits, 33 doubles, seven triples, 28 home runs, 115 runs scored, 117 runs batted in, and 48 stolen bases. Goucher ranks fourth in program history in career home runs (28).
HONORABLE MENTION: (1 PLAYER)
ABI GREGORY earned her first All-SAC recognition, pitching her way to a perfect 5-0 record, along with a 2.92 earned run average and she struck out 10 batters in 36 innings.
In her career, the junior has a 24-4 record with 3.09 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 160.2 innings of work. She is a three-time SAC Pitcher of the Week and has tossed two perfect games, as well as two no-hitters.
GOLD GLOVE: (1 PLAYER)
MALEA MCMURTREY continued to prove that she is arguably the best shortstop in the country, claiming her third consecutive SAC Gold Glove award. So far this season, she has compiled a .981 fielding percentage in 161 total chances.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Drovers now await the NAIA Selection Show to find out who their opponents will be for the NAIA Opening Round from May 12-15 at Bill Smith Ballpark. The Selection Show will be streamed live on Wednesday, May 7 at 5:00 PM CT.
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