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Big Ten Conference Produces Seven Softball All-Americans
ROSEMONT, Ill. (May 31, 2023) – Seven Big Ten Conference student-athletes from four conference schools earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors, it was announced Wednesday by the NFCA. Including this year’s honorees, current Big Ten schools have now produced at least five NFCA All-America selections in 28 of the last 32 seasons (1991-2023, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign when no awards were presented).
Kayla Konwent, a graduate student designated player from Wisconsin, earned the second All-America honor of her career as a third-team selection on Wednesday, while the other six Big Ten student-athletes were first-time All-Americans – second-team choices Taryn Kern of Indiana and Autumn Pease of Minnesota, as well as third-team honorees Brianna Copeland and Taylor Minnick of Indiana, Taylor Krapf of Minnesota and Billie Andrews of Nebraska.
Earlier this month, Kern was selected as the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year (garnering the latter honor unanimously), while Pease was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Five of the seven Big Ten All-Americans (Kern, Minnick, Krapf, Pease and Andrews) were also first-team all-conference honorees this season, with Kern and Pease chosen unanimously by the Big Ten coaches.
Also on Wednesday, Payton Lincavage of Rutgers was chosen as the third base recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, as presented by the NFCA. The nine student-athletes who received this award were recognized as the best defensive players in the country at their position.
The following is a list of the Big Ten standouts who earned NFCA honors this season. The full list of 2023 NFCA All-America Teams is available by CLICKING HERE while the Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipients can be seen by CLICKING HERE.
NFCA All-America Second Team
At-Large-2B – Taryn Kern, Indiana
At-Large-P – Autumn Pease, Minnesota
NFCA All-America Third Team
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
SS – Billie Andrews, Nebraska
UT/P – Brianna Copeland, Indiana
DP or UT/Non-P – Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin
At-Large DP or UT/Non-P – Taylor Minnick, Indiana
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
3B – Payton Lincavage, Rutgers
Big Ten Conference (bigten.org) is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching, and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten Conference has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness, and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten Conference institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013.
Kayla Konwent, a graduate student designated player from Wisconsin, earned the second All-America honor of her career as a third-team selection on Wednesday, while the other six Big Ten student-athletes were first-time All-Americans – second-team choices Taryn Kern of Indiana and Autumn Pease of Minnesota, as well as third-team honorees Brianna Copeland and Taylor Minnick of Indiana, Taylor Krapf of Minnesota and Billie Andrews of Nebraska.
Earlier this month, Kern was selected as the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year (garnering the latter honor unanimously), while Pease was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Five of the seven Big Ten All-Americans (Kern, Minnick, Krapf, Pease and Andrews) were also first-team all-conference honorees this season, with Kern and Pease chosen unanimously by the Big Ten coaches.
Also on Wednesday, Payton Lincavage of Rutgers was chosen as the third base recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, as presented by the NFCA. The nine student-athletes who received this award were recognized as the best defensive players in the country at their position.
The following is a list of the Big Ten standouts who earned NFCA honors this season. The full list of 2023 NFCA All-America Teams is available by CLICKING HERE while the Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipients can be seen by CLICKING HERE.
NFCA All-America Second Team
At-Large-2B – Taryn Kern, Indiana
At-Large-P – Autumn Pease, Minnesota
NFCA All-America Third Team
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
SS – Billie Andrews, Nebraska
UT/P – Brianna Copeland, Indiana
DP or UT/Non-P – Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin
At-Large DP or UT/Non-P – Taylor Minnick, Indiana
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
3B – Payton Lincavage, Rutgers
Big Ten Conference (bigten.org) is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching, and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten Conference has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness, and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten Conference institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013.