ATLANTA, Ga. – After a dominant season that saw the Central Arkansas softball team set program records and milestones aplenty, the team was rewarded with a plethora of postseason awards, the ASUN announced. With three superlatives and nine players on all-conference teams, the Bears were well represented on the lists of the best players in the conference this season.
 
Second year head coach Jenny Parsons was named the Unanimous Coach of the Year after guiding the Bears to their first outright regular season conference championship in 2023. Under Parsons' guidance, Central Arkansas won a program record 39 games in the regular season, including the first season with 20-plus wins in conference. Central Arkansas remains one of just ten teams with fewer than 10 losses as the NCAA reaches the conference tournament stage of the year.
 
"It's a testament to my staff and my team, really. We couldn't have the success we have without all of the pieces fitting together, and I think everyone has worked really hard to get us to this point in the year," Parsons said of her award. "It's an honor to that our hard work is recognized, because this is a tough league to win in. We just felt like we put ourselves in good positions game in and game out."
 
The Bears also claimed two player superlatives, with Jordan Johnson winning Pitcher of the Year and Madi Young claiming Defensive Player of the Year. Central Arkansas notched six First Team All-ASUN members: Johnson, Young, Kayla Beaver, Mary Kate Brown, Kylie Griffin and Tremere Harris. Morgan Nelson was named to the league's second team, outfielder Jenna Wildeman was added to the third team, and Colleen Bare was selected as a member of the all-freshman team.
 
Johnson, who also was named to the league's First Team, was selected after cruising to a 13-0 ASUN record, with a 19-3 record overall. The redshirt senior ranked second in the conference with a 1.64 ERA, which also ranked 37^th in the nation. She tallied seven shutouts, including a no-hitter against Bellarmine, the fifth no-no of her career. Her 149 strikeouts were the third-highest mark in the ASUN. Johnson was also the winning pitcher when the Bears defeated the then-No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks back in March, the first win over the Hogs and the highest-ranked win in program history.
 
"Jordan's been phenomenal all year, she was really deserving of this. She's been a big part of what we've done this year," Parsons said of Johnson. "Her ability to manage a game and get through lineups two, three times is special. I'm really proud of the work she's put in, and it's nice to see it paying off for her."
 
Young was named Defensive Player of the Year after locking down the shortstop position in her first season in Conway. The Butler CC transfer, who was also a First Team All-ASUN infielder, has created highlight after highlight all season, allowing the Bear defense to be aggressive in other areas because of the range that Young brings to the table. Her 91 assists were tenth in the conference, and she had the fewest errors of anyone in the top-10.
 
The Derby, Kan., native was also highly productive at the plate, hitting .331 with 48 hits, 11 of which were for extra bases. Her 28 RBI were third on the team, and she added seven stolen bases over the course of the season. Young ended the regular season on a 26-game reached base streak, having reached safely at least once in every game since March 18 against North Florida.
 
"Madi has been a wonderful addition to our team this year, and I think she made that evident every game," Parsons's said of Young. "Her defensive presence has been phenomenal, and I think we've fed off of her energy all year long. She's able to cover so much ground and it makes it easier for everyone else out there."
 
Beaver, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top-25 Finalist, was well deserving of a top spot in the conference after turning in one of the best seasons in ASUN history. From March 25-April 23, she carried a streak of 46.1 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run, which included a shutout over Arkansas at home, completing the first season sweep of the Razorbacks in school history.
 
In 30 appearances with 20 starts, Beaver held a 20-6 record with three saves, ranking second in the ASUN in both wins and saves. She ended the regular season with a 1.21 ERA, the 11th-best in the country and the only ASUN pitcher with a sub-1.60 ERA. She struck out 169 batters while walking just 36, and won three games against top-30 RPI teams (Arkansas, Utah, Liberty). In conference games, held a 0.98 ERA with a 9-2 record. Was the only pitcher with a sub-1.40 ERA in league contests. With 58 Ks and just 14 walks in conference games, held a 4.14 K/BB ratio.
 
Brown picked up her second First Team All-ASUN nod after starting all but one game at second base, batting .306 in 134 at bats. She ranked third in the ASUN with 13 doubles and 27 walks, and ninth with 32 RBI and nearly a 2-to-1 BB/K ratio. In conference games, the Atkins, Ark., native raised her average to .375, the seventh-highest in the ASUN.
 
She ranked second in doubles, second in RBI, seventh in walks, eighth in hits and ninth in slugging percentage, all while only striking out five times. The redshirt junior ended the season on an 18-game on base streak, and led the team with 11 multi-RBI games. Brown only committed one error at second base, posting a .993 fielding percentage on 138 chances. Helped turn 7 double plays.
 
Griffin made the leap to first team after earning an all-freshman nod last season. Starting all 48 games at third base, the sophomore hit a team-high .340 in 144 at bats, holding the 10th-highest average in the ASUN while hitting eight doubles, one triple and two home runs, driving in 27 runs. Griffin drew 19 walks compared to 14 Ks, while being successful on all seven steal attempts.
 
The Greenbrier native held the sixth-highest batting average in conference games, hitting .377. She also held the tenth-best on base percentage in league games at .462. Defensively, was one of the toughest third basemen to get a hit against, holding a .987 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 92 attempts.
 
Harris earned her second First Team All-ASUN award after starting all 48 games in left field, batting .336 across 146 at bats. She held the fifth-best OB% in the league at .443, drawing 27 walks, the third-most in the conference. Harris also ranked ninth in stolen bases, swiping 17 times. The Conway native hit .590 as the lead off hitter, providing a real spark at the top of the lineup.
 
The junior really turned a corner in conference play, ranking first in hits (33), first in OB% (.527), second in batting average (.429), second in walks (16), third in doubles (8), third in triples (2), third in steals (10), seventh in extra base hits (10) and eighth in total bases (45). Harris led the team with 13 games of multiple hits, including five games of three hits.
 
Nelson was named a second team member at first base, starting every game this season. She batted .281, ranking third in the ASUN with 11 home runs, sixth with 39 RBI, ninth with a .575 slugging percentage and 12th with 12 doubles. In conference, Nelson led the ASUN with 8 homers, a .696 slugging percentage and 29 RBI, while staying in the top-10 in doubles.
 
The redshirt junior ended the regular season on a 12-game on base streak, and leads the team with 11 multi-RBI games. At first base, she held a .993 fielding average, committing just two errors in nearly 300 chances. She's also been a part of 14 doubles plays this season, the third-most in the ASUN, and is tied for fourth in the conference with 281 put outs.
 
Wildeman started 47 games at center field, earning a spot on the league's third team after hitting .312 in 138 at bats. The redshirt junior racked up 43 hits with an inside the park grand slam. She ranked sixth in the ASUN with 21 stolen bases. Early in the season against Ohio, Wildeman stole her 103^rd career base, setting a new career record at Central Arkansas. Now with 21 on the year, she has 120 total steals in her career, separating herself from the rest of the pack and building on her record.
 
The Bentonville, Ark., native umped her numbers up in ASUN play, hitting .344 with just four strikeouts. She crossed home plate 18 runs, the sixth-most in ASUN games. In 24 ASUN games, she stole ten of her, including four games of multiple steals. Defensively, was perfect in 52 attempts in center, including a 7-for-7 weekend at Jacksonville.
 
Bare earned her spot on the freshman team after starting 38 of 40 games in right field, hitting .266 in 94 at bats. The freshman tallied 25 hits, including five doubles and a home run, driving in 13 scores. She drew 23 walks and led the team by getting hit by pitches six times.
 
Bare found her stride during conference play, hitting .293 with 17 hits. She led the ASUN in walks during league games, taking 18 bases on balls, while only striking out six times. The Pickerington, Ohio native ranked fifth in the conference in on base percentage of .481. Bare is the second Bear to claim an ASUN All-Freshman nod, after Griffin was named to the team last season.
 
"Everyone that was on one of these teams deserved it, I think our results speak for themselves," Parsons added. "Most importantly, I'm proud of the way we fought every single game. We don't get this kind of recognition if we don't have the results that we do."
 
The Bears' nine all-conference selections mark a program record, and led the ASUN this season. For Central Arkansas, it was a season of milestones, both personal and for the team. Both pitchers reached 50 career wins and 20 shutouts, while Johnson surpassed 500 strikeouts. The pitchers were a major part of the team earning its first-ever national ranking, posting the third-lowest ERA in the nation. The fielders were also a monumental piece of the puzzle, recording the seventh-best fielding percentage in all of Division I.
 
Central Arkansas awaits the results of Tuesday's play-in games and Wednesday's games to determine who the team will face on Thursday. Owning the No. 1 seed, the Bears will play at 11:30 a.m. CT to kick off the Bears' ASUN Championship.