Kailey Wilson Named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Unanimous First Team Selection
5/11/2022 12:00:00 PM | Softball
Wilson is the first Bluejays honored as top player by BIG EAST
OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton softball junior Kailey Wilson has been named the 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year and a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection as voted on by league coaches on Wednesday afternoon.
The left-handed slugger became just the fourth Bluejay in program history to be named conference Player of the year, joining Stacey Rybar (2004), Abby Johnson (2005) and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman (2009, 2010), and is the first Bluejays to earn the honor in the BIG EAST. She was also named a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection for the second consecutive season.
A native of Aurora, Colo., Wilson led the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with a .524 batting average during league games, the highest batting average during conference play by a Bluejays since at least 1989. Her efforts at the plate pushed her career BIG EAST play batting average to .467, which ranks second highest for career batting average in BIG EAST history, behind former Notre Dame star Meghan Murray (.518).
The junior slugger started each of Creighton's 22 conference games as the designated player and topped the league in slugging percentage (.984) and on-base percentage (.620) and tied for the BIG EAST lead with seven home runs and 62 total bases. Wilson also ranked second in the league in hits (33), which included 11 multiple-hit games and a 10-game hitting streak.
Wilson, the Bluejays 29th player in program history to earn multiple all-conference honors, served as the designated player in all 42 games this season and led the Bluejays with a .436 batting average, the second highest batting average in school history but the highest average since Anne Timmermann posted a .538 average in 1978. Wilson also posted the Bluejays second highest single-season slugging percentage and on-base percentage in school history with a .812 slugging percentage, as well as a .541 on-base percentage. She paced the Creighton offense with 51 hits, including a team-high 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 24 walks as Wilson reached base safely in 19 straight games.
The fourth-year junior currently ranks fourth on Creighton's career batting average list with a .370 mark during four season (121 hits). Wilson sits one home run shy of entering the top-10 list, having launched 26 career home runs. She has also drawn 62 career walks, which sits five shy of a top-10 mark in school history.
Creighton ended the 2022 season with a 15-27 overall record, including an 5-17 mark in BIG EAST action.
Both the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams consisted of 12 players made up of two pitchers, with the remaining spots selected at-large. All-BIG EAST Teams and major awards were selected via a vote of the league's head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staffs.
Butler's Alyssa Graves claimed BIG EAST Pitcher of the year honors, while DePaul shortstop Maranda Gutierrez earned BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the third time in the last four years, and Seton Hall shortstop Taylor Hill secured BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors. Graves paced the conference with a 1.12 ERA during 69 innings of work in league action. She did not allow a home run, while holding opponents to a .164 batting average. Gutierrez collected 39 putouts and 35 assists on 77 chances, while also posting a .306 average at the plate for the Blue Demons this season. Hill paced all freshman and ranked second in the BIG EAST with a .449 batting average. The Little Falls, N.J. native led the league in base hits (35) and doubles (12), while ranking third in RBI (25) and total bases (58), sixth in slugging percentage (.744) and seventh in on-base percentage (.476).
The UConn coaching staff earned the BIG EAST Coaching staff of the Year award after head coach Laura Valentino and her staff led the Huskies to the regular-season crown with a 20-4 league record.
2022 BIG EAST Softball Awards
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr.*
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
UConn
All-BIG EAST First Team
Lauren Fey, Butler, Sr., 2B
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr., P*
Sami Barnett, UConn, R-Sr., IF
Briana Marcelino, UConn, Gr., IF
Elise Sokolsky, UConn, Fr., P*
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP*
Brooke Johnson, DePaul, Jr., 1B
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Gr., LF
London Jarrard, St. John's, Fr., SS
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
Megan Kern, Villanova, Sr., SS
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Gr., P
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Bri Avery, Butler, Sr., OF
Reese Guevarra, UConn, Gr., OF
Alexis Hastings, UConn, Fr., OF
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS
Sarah Lehman, DePaul, Gr., P
Tori Meyer, DePaul, Jr., RF
Anna Wohlers, DePaul, Fr., 3B
Mae Forshey, Georgetown, Sr., C
Jacque Harrington, Providence, So., C/UTIL
Ashly Colonetta, Seton Hall, Jr., 2B
Shelby Smith, Seton Hall, Jr., P
Chloe Smith, Villanova, Jr., 3B
*unanimous selection
The left-handed slugger became just the fourth Bluejay in program history to be named conference Player of the year, joining Stacey Rybar (2004), Abby Johnson (2005) and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman (2009, 2010), and is the first Bluejays to earn the honor in the BIG EAST. She was also named a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection for the second consecutive season.
A native of Aurora, Colo., Wilson led the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with a .524 batting average during league games, the highest batting average during conference play by a Bluejays since at least 1989. Her efforts at the plate pushed her career BIG EAST play batting average to .467, which ranks second highest for career batting average in BIG EAST history, behind former Notre Dame star Meghan Murray (.518).
The junior slugger started each of Creighton's 22 conference games as the designated player and topped the league in slugging percentage (.984) and on-base percentage (.620) and tied for the BIG EAST lead with seven home runs and 62 total bases. Wilson also ranked second in the league in hits (33), which included 11 multiple-hit games and a 10-game hitting streak.
Wilson, the Bluejays 29th player in program history to earn multiple all-conference honors, served as the designated player in all 42 games this season and led the Bluejays with a .436 batting average, the second highest batting average in school history but the highest average since Anne Timmermann posted a .538 average in 1978. Wilson also posted the Bluejays second highest single-season slugging percentage and on-base percentage in school history with a .812 slugging percentage, as well as a .541 on-base percentage. She paced the Creighton offense with 51 hits, including a team-high 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 24 walks as Wilson reached base safely in 19 straight games.
The fourth-year junior currently ranks fourth on Creighton's career batting average list with a .370 mark during four season (121 hits). Wilson sits one home run shy of entering the top-10 list, having launched 26 career home runs. She has also drawn 62 career walks, which sits five shy of a top-10 mark in school history.
Creighton ended the 2022 season with a 15-27 overall record, including an 5-17 mark in BIG EAST action.
Both the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams consisted of 12 players made up of two pitchers, with the remaining spots selected at-large. All-BIG EAST Teams and major awards were selected via a vote of the league's head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staffs.
Butler's Alyssa Graves claimed BIG EAST Pitcher of the year honors, while DePaul shortstop Maranda Gutierrez earned BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the third time in the last four years, and Seton Hall shortstop Taylor Hill secured BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors. Graves paced the conference with a 1.12 ERA during 69 innings of work in league action. She did not allow a home run, while holding opponents to a .164 batting average. Gutierrez collected 39 putouts and 35 assists on 77 chances, while also posting a .306 average at the plate for the Blue Demons this season. Hill paced all freshman and ranked second in the BIG EAST with a .449 batting average. The Little Falls, N.J. native led the league in base hits (35) and doubles (12), while ranking third in RBI (25) and total bases (58), sixth in slugging percentage (.744) and seventh in on-base percentage (.476).
The UConn coaching staff earned the BIG EAST Coaching staff of the Year award after head coach Laura Valentino and her staff led the Huskies to the regular-season crown with a 20-4 league record.
2022 BIG EAST Softball Awards
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr.*
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
UConn
All-BIG EAST First Team
Lauren Fey, Butler, Sr., 2B
Alyssa Graves, Butler, Gr., P*
Sami Barnett, UConn, R-Sr., IF
Briana Marcelino, UConn, Gr., IF
Elise Sokolsky, UConn, Fr., P*
Kailey Wilson, Creighton, Jr., DP*
Brooke Johnson, DePaul, Jr., 1B
Kate Polucha, DePaul, Gr., LF
London Jarrard, St. John's, Fr., SS
Taylor Hill, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
Megan Kern, Villanova, Sr., SS
Paige Rauch, Villanova, Gr., P
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Bri Avery, Butler, Sr., OF
Reese Guevarra, UConn, Gr., OF
Alexis Hastings, UConn, Fr., OF
Maranda Gutierrez, DePaul, Gr., SS
Sarah Lehman, DePaul, Gr., P
Tori Meyer, DePaul, Jr., RF
Anna Wohlers, DePaul, Fr., 3B
Mae Forshey, Georgetown, Sr., C
Jacque Harrington, Providence, So., C/UTIL
Ashly Colonetta, Seton Hall, Jr., 2B
Shelby Smith, Seton Hall, Jr., P
Chloe Smith, Villanova, Jr., 3B
*unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
IF
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