FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Softball had five student-athletes named to the All-MIAA Softball Team, released on Tuesday. Hannah Green was named to the second team as an outfielder, while Peyton Shepard (OF), Audrey Gillespie (C), Abbey Duarte (DP), and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson (2B) all received honorable mention selections.
Green put together a tremendous freshman campaign for the Tigers, leading the team in batting average (.448), runs scored (50), hits (78), triples (3), and on-base percentage (.470). She tied for the team lead in total bases with 91. She also stole 30 bases for the season, just the third player in FHSU's NCAA Division II history to do so, joining teammate Peyton Shepard who led the team with 37 this season. Her .523 slugging percentage for the season was second best on the team. Green's .448 batting average was second best for a single season in FHSU history, while her 50 runs scored were third most for a season as she became just the second player in program history to reach that mark behind FHSU and MIAA Hall of Famer Maddie Holub, who scored 62 (2013) and 51 (2010). Green's 78 hits and .470 on-base percentage were also third best for a single season in FHSU history.
Shepard collected the third All-MIAA honor of her career as an outfielder, going 3-for-3 in receiving conference honors for the number of years she was able to play. She sat out last season and was recently named the FHSU Women's Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year at the first-annual Tiger R.O.A.R. Awards. As mentioned above, Shepard led the Tigers in stolen bases this season with 37, which pushed her to the top of the career stolen bases list at FHSU with 76, passing the previous record of 72 set by Bianca Adame. Shepard put together another great offensive season, hitting .377 for the second-straight year with 60 hits, while adding 36 runs, 21 RBIs, and a .428 on-base percentage. Her career .376 batting average is third-best in program history, nearly replicating the same batting average all three years on the field (.373, .377, .377). She produced at least 60 hits all three years.
Gillespie earned the first All-MIAA honor of her career at catcher. She finished the season with a .315 batting average, 51 hits, 18 extra-base hits (which included a team-best 13 doubles), and 37 RBIs. She was second on the team in runs batted in. Gillespie was also perfect on her four stolen base attempts.
Duarte earned her first All-MIAA honor as a Tiger, receiving a selection as designated player. She led the Tigers in RBIs this season with 45. It was the seventh-most RBIs for a season in FHSU's NCAA Division II history. Duarte was the NCAA Division II national leader for sacrifice flies in the regular season with nine, setting a new single-season record at FHSU past the old mark of seven set by Sara Breckbill four years ago. She hit .305 for the season with 14 extra-base hits, while slugging .475. Duarte even contributed in the pitching circle a bit for the season, throwing 13.2 innings with one complete game and a 2-0 record.
Ramirez-Johnson picked up her first All-MIAA honor, selected at second base. She was strong defensively for the Tigers with just three errors in 195 chances, posting a .985 fielding percentage for the season. At the plate, she hit .266 for the season with nine extra-base hits, 22 RBIs, and 16 runs scored. She struck out only five times for the season in 143 at bats (just a 3% rate), matching two of her three previous seasons when she also had just five (2023, 2025). That mark of five is third-best for a single-season in program history, but she is the only player in program history to finish with five or less multiple times for players with at least 100 at bats.
2026 All-MIAA Softball Team
Player of the Year: Rylee Lemos, Central Oklahoma
Pitcher of the Year: Kiki Pickens, Missouri Southern
Defensive Player of the Year: Rylee Lemos, Central Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Emily Davis, Missouri Southern
Coaching Staff of the Year: Missouri Southern
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Harley Culie – Rogers State
Pitcher: Emily Davis – Missouri Southern
Pitcher: Kiki Pickens – Missouri Southern
Catcher: Lexi Davis – Pittsburg State
First Base: Katie Gray – Missouri Southern
Second Base: Rylee Anglen – Central Oklahoma
Shortstop: Heather Arnett – Pittsburg State
Third Base: Kadyn Trochim – Pittsburg State
Outfield: Bailey Dillon – Missouri Southern
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Makenzie Sais – Washburn
Designated Player: Marisa Johnson – Central Missouri
Utility: Bailey Brumley – Central Missouri
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Emma Crabb – Pittsburg State
Pitcher: Kinsley Hill – Rogers State
Pitcher: Sadie Walker – Washburn
Catcher: Taylor Thompson – Central Missouri
First Base: Jaden Jordan – Rogers State
Second Base: Dalaney Anderson – Washburn
Shortstop: Taylor Nuckolls – Missouri Southern
Third Base: Brooke Flewelling – Emporia State
Outfield: Haley Gallo – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Hannah Green – Fort Hays State
Outfield: Alleyna Rushing – Pittsburg State
Designated Player: Brooklyn Lyles – Central Oklahoma
Utility: Sailor Hall – Pittsburg State
ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM
Pitcher: Shelby Beard – Central Oklahoma
Pitcher: Carleigh Kinnaird – Central Oklahoma
Pitcher: Harley Pruetting – Missouri Western
Catcher: Jenna Jobe – Central Oklahoma
First Base: Kennedy Clark – Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Mack Minarik – Northwest Missouri
Shortstop: Kalee Higdon – Missouri Western
Third Base: Carsen Tinkler – Missouri Southern
Outfield: Lexi Blackmon – Central Missouri
Outfield: Brooklyn Ryan – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Taryn Burkhardt – Emporia State
Designated Player: Addison Callaway – Emporia State
Utility: Ashlyn Finarty – Missouri Western
GOLD GLOVE TEAM
Pitcher: Emily Davis – Missouri Southern
Catcher: Mac Moore – Washburn
First Base: Kate Ediger – Washburn
Second Base: Rylee Anglen – Central Oklahoma
Shortstop: Taylor Nuckolls – Missouri Southern
Third Base: Aspen Burgardt – Washburn
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Brooklyn Ryan – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Taryn Burkhardt – Emporia State
Outfield: Makenzie Sais – Washburn
(Team Reflects Ties in Voting)
HONORABLE MENTION
Central Missouri: Andi Siebeneck (Pitcher); Kyrsten Moran (Outfield)
Central Oklahoma: Hannah Demoff (Shortstop); Sherri Mason (Third Base)
Emporia State: Hannah Butterbaugh (Pitcher); Ally Miller (Catcher); Avery Brewer (First Base); Brynley Smith (Second Base)
Fort Hays State: Audrey Gillespie (Catcher); Lilly Ramirez-Johnson (Second Base); Peyton Shepard (Outfield); Abbey Duarte (Designated Player)
Missouri Southern: Maddie Rolfs (Outfield)
Missouri Western: Ayva McComas (Third Base)
Nebraska Kearney: Mary Chvatal (Shortstop)
Northeastern State: Jensyn Elder (Pitcher)
Northwest Missouri: Jadyn Streigle (Pitcher); Alexis Brown (Outfield)
Pittsburg State: Haili Igou (Outfield)
Washburn: Mac Moore (Catcher); Kate Ediger (First Base); Taylor Brees (Outfield); Aspen Burgardt (Utility)